Twelve months ago, Matt Renshaw’s cricketing world was far simpler. Now, as a key member of Australia’s all-format squad, he is navigating a complex, multi-faceted career.Exactly a year ago, he was still awaiting his limited-overs debut for Australia, which eventually arrived during the ODI series against India. Today, he is a bona fide all-format player. After a last-minute call-up to the T20 World Cup in February, a return to the Test side in Mackay recently, and a match-winning maiden ODI century in Harare on Tuesday, Renshaw’s stock continues to rise, bringing him closer to securing a spot in next year’s World Cup.
“I wasn’t playing this format this time last year, so I’m just sort of taking everything as it comes,” Renshaw reflected after his match-winning contribution. “Trying to plan for my life at the moment is interesting; I don’t really know where I’m going to be, especially with the call-up to the Test side last month.
“But I’m just enjoying it. The opportunity to play ODI cricket is pretty amazing, and playing any cricket for Australia is awesome. I’m trying to enjoy that while taking it seriously, obviously, but I know I play my best when I’m nice and relaxed. So, whatever happens, happens.”
The most notable aspect of Renshaw’s rapid elevation to a cross-format player is the diverse roles he has embraced. In white-ball cricket, he has adapted to the middle order, batting anywhere from No. 3 to No. 7 in just 10 matches. Meanwhile, he has returned to the top of the order as an opener in the Test side, a role he is expected to maintain in the upcoming series in South Africa.In Harare on Tuesday, Renshaw walked in with Australia in trouble at 107 for 4. He did not face a single delivery of pace until he was 45 off 47 balls. Having reached his half-century from a measured 55 deliveries—capped off by launching Wellington Masakadza onto the roof over long-off—his next fifty took just 33 balls.
“It was just playing my game, especially when the spinners were on for pretty much the whole first 70 runs. I didn’t feel like I needed to push anything; it was just that if the opportunity to find a boundary was there, I took it,” he said. “When I first came into one-day cricket for Queensland, I was opening the batting. But I think finding those spots at four and five from the Big Bash into List A cricket has really helped me understand my role.”
Matt Renshaw celebrates his century•Zimbabwe Cricket
“I think at times when I batted higher up the order, I’ve got a bit giddy, thinking, ‘I’m opening the batting, there are only two fielders out, I have to slog.’ Whereas for me, my tempo when I come in during the middle overs is just trying to hit the gaps. And with spin being such a big factor in that middle period, I see it as my strength, so I just try to play that game.”
The century, which came nearly ten years after his Test hundred against Pakistan, followed an interesting start to Renshaw’s ODI career. He began by reaching at least 21 in his first five innings, including half-centuries against India in Sydney and Pakistan in Rawalpindi. However, he then endured a run of 4, 2, 0, and 0 in four consecutive knocks—the latter three during the series against Bangladesh—where Renshaw believed he strayed from what had been working well for him.
“I want my mindset to be as clear as possible,” he said. “In the Bangladesh ODIs, I struggled because I got a bit too technical with myself, rather than just thinking about watching the ball, hitting it, and trying to play the way I want to play. I think that’s the big one—just trying to, whatever the conditions, play as positively as you can.”
Renshaw has also developed an increasingly valuable second string to his game as an offspinner, adding the wicket of Brendan Taylor to the five he took during the series against Bangladesh. One of Australia’s key tasks ahead of next year’s World Cup is replacing the overs Glenn Maxwell previously provided for the one-day side—though Renshaw’s bowling role has yet to be fully acknowledged, even as he shared nine overs with Cooper Connolly and Ollie Peake in the opening match.
“I’m still not listed as an allrounder on the team sheet; it comes up every game, and it’s always just ‘batter,'” he joked. “So, it would be nice to have a bowler in there at some point. I don’t know how many more overs I need to bowl, especially when Peaky already has the allrounder status.”
“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing, and hopefully, it adds to the team. I think that’s what I saw in Bangladesh. I had a tough series with the bat, but I managed to contribute with the ball. As a batter, if you’re just batting, it’s really hard to feel like you’re contributing. But having the bowling side, it always goes through your mind that you want to try and help out.”
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