Matt Renshaw has been added to Australia’s squad for the fourth and final Test against South Africa, in Johannesburg, in the wake of the ball-tampering crisis.
Matt Renshaw has been added to Australia squad for the fourth and final Test against South Africa, in Johannesburg, in the wake of the ball-tampering crisis.
Currently playing in the Sheffield Shield final in Brisbane, Renshaw is due to fly out Tuesday (March 27) night to join the squad in Johannesburg ahead of the game that starts Friday (March 30).
Incidentally, Renshaw was dropped ahead of the Ashes owing to his poor form and replaced by Cameron Bancroft – one of the two players, alongside Steve Smith, to be charged by the ICC after their confession to tamper the condition of the ball on Day 3 of the third Test in Cape Town.
Renshaw, 21, last appeared for Australia in the Chittagong Test against Bangladesh in September 2017. The left-hander has since, overcome the lean patch with three consecutive centuries – 170 against Victoria, 112 against South Australia and an unbeaten 143 against Western Australia – that were instrumental in leading his side, Queensland, to the Shield final.
While Bancroft was slapped with a fine of 75 per cent of his match fee and three demerit points, Australia captain Smith has been suspended from the Johannesburg Test along with a 100 per cent fine.
Cricket Australia would likely impose further sanctions on the “leadership group” that, Smith admitted to have orchestrated the plan. In the immediate aftermath of the scandalous confession, captain Smith and vice-captain David Warner were stood down from their posts for the remainder of the Newlands Test that the visitors lost by 322 runs.
The outcome of the internal investigation, led by CA’s head of integrity Iain Roy, is likely on Tuesday night (South Africa time).
