{"id":913857,"date":"2026-10-02T20:32:16","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T20:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/913857\/"},"modified":"2026-10-02T20:32:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T20:32:16","slug":"australia-v-south-africa-cricket-2026-why-nic-maddinson-has-been-called-up-to-test-squad-testicular-cancer-battle-first-class-record-latest-news-videos-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/913857\/","title":{"rendered":"Australia v South Africa cricket 2026: why Nic Maddinson has been called up to Test squad, testicular cancer battle, first-class record, latest news, videos, highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nic Maddinson\u2019s call-up to Australia\u2019s Test squad in South Africa<\/a> came from nowhere.<\/p>\n

Even the man himself was completely caught off guard when Australia\u2019s chair of selectors George Bailey called to deliver the good news.<\/p>\n

\ufeffWatch Australia\u2019s Tour of South Africa Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was not even the best piece of news the 34-year-old has received in the past year.<\/p>\n

That title undoubtedly goes to the declaration that he was cancer free last October – eight weeks after his final round of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

Maddinson has not played a first-class match since facing Western Australia at the WACA in March 2025.<\/p>\n

He was diagnosed with testicular cancer shortly after.<\/p>\n

It would soon spread to his abdominal lymph nodes and lung, leading to surgery and chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

The treatment, while effective, hit Maddinson for six.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy the second or third week, I lost all my hair. I was feeling pretty average,\u201d he told the Nine newspapers last year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was taking types of steroids to manage side effects, but they would keep me up at night. I\u2019d be at the hospital from about 11am to 4pm. Then a sleep. Then I\u2019d force myself to have dinner. I\u2019d sleep until about 1am, but sometimes I\u2019d then be awake until 6am. I found that difficult. <\/p>\n

\u201cI was super drained and felt like I had to sleep 24\/7. I felt guilty. I couldn\u2019t do anything around the house.\u201d<\/p>\n

After such an experience, Maddinson was simply enjoying being back in the New South Wales squad this season.<\/p>\n

The fact he smashed 126 against his old Victorian teammates at the Junction Oval was simply a bonus, but the Australian selectors saw it as so much more.<\/p>\n

Upon being informed of the news of Thursday, Maddinson was forced into a mad dash.<\/p>\n

Ahead of playing club cricket for Eastern Suburbs on Saturday and his beloved Sydney Roosters playing in the NRL Grand Final on Sunday night, Maddinson was in Sydney.<\/p>\n

His passport and baggy green were at home in Byron Bay.<\/p>\n

Instead of embarking on an eight-hour drive, he hopped on a flight on Friday morning to pick up those two essential items and say goodbye to his wife Bianca and young sons August and Wilder.<\/p>\n

While Maddinson completed that task, his manager Peter Lovitt ran to a Sydney cricket store to pick up more pads and gloves for his client.<\/p>\n

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – SEPTEMBER 25: Nic Maddinson of New South Wales celebrates making a century during the One Day Cup match between Victoria and New South Wales at Junction Oval, on September 25, 2026, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Josh Chadwick\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n

Truly, no one expected this to happen.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got up and saw that selection (of Maddinson) and asked if it was an old fashioned report, it\u2019s extraordinary,\u201d News Corp cricket writer Robert Craddock told SENQ Breakfast on Friday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to say, there are few times that a selection knocks you off your seat, I was stunned by this.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an unusual selection; he\u2019s a very, very talented player. I\u2019m not saying it can\u2019t work, but we have an old team, we need a bit of youth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maddinson last donned the baggy green during the 2016 Boxing Day Test and has not worn Australian colours since a T20 in Zimbabwe in 2018.<\/p>\n

He only played in the Big Bash last season – making scores of 30, 21, 21, 30* and 26 – upon his return to professional cricket with the Sydney Thunder.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven last year when I was playing club cricket the whole year I wasn\u2019t really banging the door down for New South Wales selection,\u2019\u2019 Maddinson said last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not really sure. Being in the last years of my NSW contract. And at my age you do wonder if you will get back there and get the chance again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Australia’s batsman Nic Maddinson walks back to the dressing room following his dismissal of Pakistan’s paceman Wahab Riaz during the second day-night cricket Test between Australia and Pakistan in Brisbane on December 16, 2016.Source: AFP<\/p>\n

Bailey, fellow selector Tony Dodemaide and Australian coach Andrew McDonald showed they have long memories, however.<\/p>\n

Maddinson scored a century opening the batting on debut for New South Wales in Sheffield Shield cricket at the age of 18.<\/p>\n

He was once regarded as one of the nation\u2019s brightest young batting talents.<\/p>\n

But his introduction to Test cricket was brutal.<\/p>\n

ICC announces major rule changes | 00:43<\/p>\n

Maddinson, Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb all debuted as Australia made a whopping five changes to the side that was devastated by South Africa – having been dismissed for 85 and 161 in Hobart to slump to a fifth straight Test defeat by the humiliating margin of an innings and 80 runs.<\/p>\n

While Renshaw and Handscomb impressed earlier in their carer, under lights at the Adelaide Oval, Maddinson was knocked over by a brutal yorker from a young Kagiso Rabada for a 12-ball duck.<\/p>\n

It was his only hit for the match as he was batting at No.6 and Australia won by seven wickets.<\/p>\n

Australian batsman Nic Maddinson is bowled out by South Africa’s Kagiso Rabada for nought on day 2 of the third Test match between Australia and South Africa at the Adelaide Oval in Adelaide, Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. (AAP Image\/Dave Hunt)Source: AAP<\/p>\n

Things did not get much easier at the Gabba – another pink ball affair – when Pakistan left-arm quick Wahab Riaz dismissed Maddinson in both innings for 1 and 4.<\/p>\n

He was given another chance at the MCG but 22 was not enough to be saved from the axe as Hilton Cartwright was awarded a debut in his place at the SCG.<\/p>\n

Maddinson\u2019s career stumbled for a while after, and took multiples mental health breaks from the game.<\/p>\n

But a move to Victoria put his career back on track and has ultimately led to this surprise Test call-up.<\/p>\n

From December 2018 to March 2024 when Maddinson donned the Big V, he averaged 52.37 in the Sheffield Shield – only Cameron Green had a better return in that time frame among batters to have played at least 20 innings in the competition.<\/p>\n

He returned to his original home state for the 2024\/25 season, but fatigue led to poor returns and that was later explained as the cancer taking its toll.<\/p>\n

Maddinson has also scored 18 first-class centuries and in the top 11 leading run-scorers in the Shield last summer, only discarded Test opener Jake Weatherald averaged better than his career mark of 37.11.<\/p>\n

He has also scored his runs from just about every position in the top six.<\/p>\n

Bailey noted that he \u201cprovides flexibility throughout the batting order\u201d when announcing the aggressive left-hander alongside Victorian gloveman Sam Harper as additions to the squad.<\/p>\n

Selectors clearly like the fact both players have the firepower to score quick runs, while Maddinson is also renowned as a good player of spin – a key point after Keshav Maharaj strangled the Australian middle order in the recently completed ODI series<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The selectors also have clearly stood up and took notice of those close to Maddinson.<\/p>\n

Australia & India rematch to start WC | 00:57<\/p>\n

New NSW coach Brad Haddin made the surprise call to announce Maddinson as the state\u2019s Shield captain.<\/p>\n

The decision came after he was afforded a longer layoff than his state teammates, but arrived at training in Sydney in superb condition.<\/p>\n

While with the bat, they surely would have taken notice of Maddinson\u2019s comments about his own game during last summer\u2019s Big Bash.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably as much fun as I\u2019ve had playing cricket for a long time,\u201d he told AAP at the time. <\/p>\n

\u201cSix months ago, just to be out on the field and playing is something I wasn\u2019t sure could happen this quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s probably just a different attitude to it all. I just want to play.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought I had a good opportunity at the start of (the 2024-25) summer to try and put my hand up (for Test selection) and it didn\u2019t work out. Now it\u2019s just about enjoying playing, and whether I\u2019ve got two years left or five years left, I don\u2019t really know. But I\u2019m still loving it, I\u2019m enjoying it as much as I ever have and I\u2019m still looking to improve.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m probably better now than what I was 12 or 18 months ago as well. As long as that\u2019s happening, I\u2019ll keeping looking to play.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maddinson is also well versed in coming back and performing.<\/p>\n

Jhye Richardson hitting him and breaking his arm in 2018 was a speed bump.<\/p>\n

While he ruptured his ACL in the Big Bash on New Year\u2019s Day in 2023, but scored three Shield centuries in five innings for Victoria when he returned the following summer, including a career-best double century at the SCG.<\/p>\n

The Australian hierarchy are clearly confident he can do so.<\/p>\n

Whether he gets called into the XI in South Africa is uncertain.<\/p>\n

But just by sharing an Australian dressing room with the likes of Steve Smith and Pat Cummins once again, Maddinson will be able to say he achieved \u201cthe most important thing\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would still love to play Test cricket again, but I\u2019m more realistic. The older you get, the less likely it is to happen,\u201d he said last October. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important thing would be to say I am available. That would be a nice day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nic Maddinson\u2019s call-up to Australia\u2019s Test squad in South Africa came from nowhere. Even the man himself was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":913858,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[564],"tags":[64,63,740,85],"class_list":["post-913857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cricket","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cricket","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=913857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913857\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/913858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=913857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=913857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=913857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}