Nic Maddinson (X)
When Nic Maddinson told his four-year-old son August that he was heading to South Africa, the youngster began listing the animals he knew lived there. The family even squeezed in some cricket in the hallway of their Byron Bay home before Maddinson left for what could become one of the most significant chapters of his career.
Maddinson last played first-class cricket in March 2025, meaning he went 579 days without a match in the format before returning to Australia’s Test set-up. For the left-handed batter, however, the journey back to Australia’s Test team has been about far more than cricket. It has been a story of battling testicular cancer, enduring chemotherapy and finding a new perspective on life before earning an unexpected return to the national set-up. His return to competitive cricket has been remarkable. It is the longest such gap for an Australian before a men’s Test match.
“I thought maybe he was calling me to go to India for the A tour or ask about another young player around because I was a little bit unsure what was going on,” Maddinson said. Despite the lengthy break from first-class cricket, Maddinson said he was confident about his physical conditioning. “I always felt like I understood the game pretty well but when you look back I feel like you probably don’t know that much,” he said.
The call-up itself came as a surprise. When George Bailey , the chair of selectors, rang him, Maddinson initially wondered whether the conversation might concern an Australia A tour of India or another young player. “Obviously didn’t feel like I was that close but still had hopes of maybe one day getting back into a Test squad. So, in terms of motivation, it’s still always been there but yeah definitely a bit of a surprise. He had been playing matches and multi-day red-ball games with New South Wales as he worked towards regaining his fitness.