Australia send Nic Maddinson home from South Africa tour ahead of third Test

Australia sent Nic Maddinson home from their tour of South Africa on October 26, 2026, after a two-Test experiment failed to deliver the desired results; he will not travel for the third and final Test in Cape Town.

Maddinson had been recalled to the Test squad after a 10-year absence but lasted only four innings on the tour. His second-innings 48 in the first Test in Durban was his only notable contribution, while he also registered a 33-ball duck and a three-ball duck in separate innings. His elevation to opener had permitted Matthew Renshaw to move into Cameron Green's No.5 position, a combination that helped Australia counter South Africa's two spinners in their win in Durban.

Selection chief George Bailey said the team would have liked more runs from Maddinson but stressed the change had helped set up the rest of the side. "Performance-wise, would you have liked more runs? Yes. Did it allow us to set the rest of the team up the way that we wanted to, whilst we're working with the group we have? Yes," Bailey said. He added that Maddinson could remain in contention for the home summer against New Zealand and the subsequent tour of India.

Bailey also told reporters the recall was not intended as a short-term fix and that selectors would apply the same evaluation process across upcoming series. "We wanted to be clear to him it wasn't a stop-gap and that's it, and it's a discard," Bailey said. "The same process we worked through to get him to be on the table for here, and ultimately to play, they'll be the same questions that we'll ask across the home summer to (the tour of) India as well."

Marnus Labuschagne's place at No.3 is under scrutiny after a succession of starts without conversion; he has made 37, 37, 14 and 39 in his four innings in the series and last registered a Test century in 2023. Bailey acknowledged encouraging signs but questioned whether a recurring pattern around scores in the 30s was affecting the team's collective output. "We're seeing some good things, yes, (but) is there a block at the moment around 30s? Yes," Bailey said. "(He is) still contributing in terms of his ability to get through a number of balls."

"So it's a decision around what does that look like if (Labuschagne) gets through there versus what does it look like for the collective is it helping others around him? Is it helping the team get a result that we ultimately want?" Bailey added as selectors weigh Josh Inglis as an option at first drop and the possibility of Cameron Green returning to No.5.

Steve Smith's availability remains a concern after he experienced neck stiffness during the second Test and limited his Newlands net session to around 20 minutes of gentle throwdowns. Smith has not scored more than 30 in four series innings, and coach Andrew McDonald described the plan to progress his training toward facing bowlers. "He hasn't had the start he would like in this series. He's got a bit of a neck issue going at the moment. You guys would have seen that play out in the nets," McDonald said. "Today he'll progress (his training) – he didn't have his helmet on yesterday as well, so hopefully he progresses to (facing) bowlers. "We feel like it's going to be a pretty steep progression ... he should be available."

The bowling composition also presents a selection challenge: Nathan Lyon is a strong contender to return in a holding role, there is no obvious candidate to make way among the four seamers who featured in the second Test in Gqeberha, and Josh Hazlewood has recovered fully from the stomach bug that affected him last week. Maddinson's departure opens another spot in a squad that still requires a settled batting order and bowling combination for the series decider.

Australia Squad for 3rd Test: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster.