When Nic Maddinson revealed last year that he had undergone cancer treatment, one of his most poignant statements was the pain of not being able to play cricket with his son, August. Now he can play cricket with his son. After a dramatic 72 hours, when he went home last Friday and had to rush out in a whirlwind with his baggy green cap and passport, he also had to say goodbye to August.
In that emotional moment, he told his son that he had to go to South Africa. Hearing the name 'South Africa', three-year-old August started rattling off the names of all the familiar animals from that country. Remembering that moment, Maddinson said, 'It was pretty great…'
Those three days are perhaps the most dramatic chapter of Maddinson's life. He was preparing to lead New South Wales in the new Sheffield Shield season, getting ready in training for the challenges ahead. But unexpectedly, a call-up came from the Australian Test team. He quickly packed everything and rushed off to South Africa. Now he is in Potchefstroom with the Australian Test team for a warmup match.
When selection panel chairman George Bailey's name popped up on his phone screen last Thursday evening, he had no idea what surprise awaited him. 'I thought he might be calling me to go to India with the Australia 'A' team, or asking about some other young player around. I had no idea what was going to happen.'
'We had spoken a bit (previously) and naturally I didn't think I was very close (to the national team). There was still hope in the back of my mind that maybe one day I could return to the Test team, but I didn't think it would be right now. So it was definitely surprising.'
For him, and indeed for world cricket, the news was a surprise. The way he received the call-up is an extremely rare precedent in Australian cricket! The Australian cricket system is kept at the top of the cricket world precisely because processes are always followed. In Maddinson's case, there was an extreme exception to this. Incredibly, he has returned to the Test team without playing a single first-class match in the last 19 months. His performance in the last season he played was poor. After that, cricket as a matter became secondary in his life as he was fighting for his life!
His testicular cancer was diagnosed in April of last year, and his world went dark. But he continued the fight. After surgery and nine weeks of chemotherapy, he is healthy. Following tests at various stages, he confirmed that the disease is no longer in his body. He returned to cricket practice again last October.
However, last season he limited himself only to T20s, playing five matches for the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash without doing very well. His real plan was centered around this season. Returning to the domestic one-day tournament a few days ago, he scored 14 runs in his first match, followed by 126 in the next. He was preparing for the Sheffield Shield when this unimaginable achievement happened!
The 34-year-old batsman has not yet fully emerged from the trance of getting the Test call-up. 'Probably… I'm still stunned! But I'm not trying to think too far ahead and not worrying too much about what possibilities might lie ahead.'
