Matt Renshaw sheds ‘pigeonholed’ Test player label to embrace white-ball future
Freed from being typecast as a ‘red-ball’ player, Brisbane Heat star Matt Renshaw is relishing batting in the middle-order in T20 and 50-over games.
He’s still waiting for another opportunity to play Test cricket, but Queensland Bulls and Brisbane Heat star Matt Renshaw is glad he’s no longer being “pigeonholed” as a red-ball player.
Renshaw, who played the most recent of his 14 Tests in February 2023 after debuting as a youngster seven years earlier, was in contention to open the batting for Australia in the current Ashes series.
However, the national selectors instead opted for Tasmania’s Jake Weatherald, who after a shaky start in the first Test in Perth, made scores of 72 and 17 not out in the following Test in Brisbane to keep his spot in the team.
“He’s a really good player, and he’s taking the opportunity well – I’m happy for him,” Renshaw said Weatherald.
With him not being required for Test duty, Renshaw is preparing for the Heat’s 2025-26 BBL campaign, which starts on Monday night in Geelong against the Melbourne Renegades.
The 29-year-old left-hander has revelled in white-ball cricket in recent seasons, particularly when batting in the middle-order.
He made his One-Day International debut for Australia in October’s series against India, and finished with a batting average of 53.5 across the three games.
“It was really nice seeing how I stacked up against them, and in some of the conditions,” Renshaw said.
“I really enjoy the middle (order), wherever that is. I think that suits my game.
“I can manipulate the game as much as I can, and obviously with spin being so prevalent in the middle, I feel like that’s a strength of mine.
“It’s a nice change for me. When you’re pigeonholed as a Test player at 20, a red-ball player at 20, you get sucked into that.
“The white-ball game was (previously) just somewhere for me to enjoy and express myself, and try and hit some cool sixes, but now knowing that it’s an opportunity for me to keep working on my game and get better, that’s what I’m enjoying.”
Renshaw tipped the Heat to again contend for the BBL crown after the club failed to fire last season in its attempt to win back-to-back titles.
“We’re definitely capable of winning it. You saw a couple of years ago and probably the year before that (when the Heat finished runners-up). We can come back from anywhere,” he said.
Renshaw admitted the loss of left-arm paceman Spencer Johnson for the entire season because of a back injury was a blow, but said the recruitment of another star left-arm quick, Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi, was a boost for Brisbane.
“We’re obviously excited to have him, but I’m not excited to face him in the nets, If I have to do that, I’ll be wearing extra strong shoes to make sure that I don’t break my foot, but he’s a quality player,” Renshaw said.
“He’s done it for so long in the international arena and in other franchise tournaments as well, so we’re happy to have him here.”
Originally published as Matt Renshaw sheds ‘pigeonholed’ Test player label to embrace white-ball future
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