Queensland batsman Matt Renshaw, aged 27, has had his fair share of experiences with the uncertainty of selections to let the potential opportunity of inheriting the Australian opener’s spot from David Warner consume him. After the test match between Australia and Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground from January 3-7, Warner has divulged his plans for retirement, presenting a vacancy in the top of the order. This arises before the two-Test series commencing on January 17 against the West Indies.
Contenders for Warner’s role include not only Renshaw, but also Marcus Harris of Victoria and Cameron Bancroft of Western Australia. As Harris steps back from the initial Sheffield Shield matches, Renshaw finds himself in the spotlight. His intermittent stint on the international level now has a chance to showcase his prowess and capture the eyes of selectors.
Renshaw, who made his Test debut in November 2016 at the young age of 20, found himself dropped the following year leading to a cycle of fluctuating selections. In the span of his career, Renshaw has racked up 645 runs in 14 Test matches, with an average score of 29.31 and a career-best score of 184.
However, during the recent Ashes series in England, Renshaw was part of the Australian team for only the first two tests before he made an exit. Hence, it is likely that the Queensland batsman, ahead of their Shield season opener in Sydney against NSW, would rather focus on his commitment to the team than potential future scenarios.
Renshaw has expressed his concentration for the forthcoming game against NSW. He acknowledges the subjectivity of selection and emphasizes the importance of luck when making the cut. His one constant aim is to pursue his goals in cricket and life, irrespective of the selections.
The batsman finds delight in his personal life, particularly with his nearly 10-month-old daughter, Charlotte, and hopes to translate these good vibes onto the cricket field.
Renshaw is gearing up for the Bulls-Blues face-off at the newly christened Cricket Central, previously a part of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct. His previous performance against NSW for Queensland at Sydney’s Drummoyne Oval, where he scored an unbroken 200 runs, infuses him with confidence.
However, the Bulls find themselves in a state of caution with regards to the Cricket Central pitch. To counter uncertainty, they have assembled a 13-man team that includes two spinners — Mitchell Swepson and Matthew Kuhnemann.
The Bulls team is compiled of: Usman Khawaja, James Bazley, Joe Burns, Jack Clayton, Matthew Kuhnemann, Jimmy Peirson, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Gurinder Sandhu, Mark Steketee, Bryce Street, Mitchell Swepson, and Jack Wildermuth.
Blue’s roster consists of: Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards, Matthew Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hackney, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Hayden Kerr, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, and Chris Tremain.
