Racing
League
Rugby
Cricket
Golf
Motorsport
Combat Sports
Football
Netball
Basketball
Other Sports
Sport Nation
“Can’t play him”: The argument against a Renshaw Ashes recall
SEN • October 31st, 2025 12:19 pm
SEN Cricket’s Adam White has urged selectors not to pick Matt Renshaw to open in the upcoming first Ashes Test.
Renshaw is one of the key names in the race to replace the out-of-form Sam Konstas for the opening Test alongside Marnus Labuschagne, who may end up batting at No.3, and Tassie opener Jake Weatherald.
While Renshaw is clearly rated inside Cricket Australia with 14 Tests to his name already, as well as having some solid form in both First Class and ODI cricket so far this season, White simply thinks his overall recent output doesn’t stack up.
Looking at the 2024/25 Sheffield Shield season, Renshaw scored 496 runs from 10 matches at an average of 29.17. Compare that to Weatherald, who scored 906 runs at 50.33, and White doesn’t think there should be much comparison.
“I want to have the Renshaw discussion… he can’t be in the team. You can't pick someone who averaged 29 in Sheffield Shield cricket last year,” White said on SEN Sportsday.
“You can't have him in the team. We all think he's this great player, we all think he's the next Matthew Elliott, we all think he's the next Matthew Hayden because he's got all the attributes to be a great player, but he's not a great player.
“You can't play him based on what he has done over the last 12 to 18 months.
“I don't think it's about him missing out in this game. I think it's that he hasn't scored consistent runs over the last 18 months, like someone like Jake Weatherald has done.
“While Jake has gone and got the double failure here, if you stack up his runs and the rate of which he gets his runs, versus what Renshaw has done over the last 12 months, you can't play Renshaw.”
While Labuschagne, Weatherald and Renshaw are considered leading options, White himself would even look to 22-year-old Victorian opener Campbell Kellaway over the Queensland opener to replace Konstas.
Kellaway only shifted to the top of the order last year and averaged 41 during the 24/25 season and he backed that up with a score of 147 on Wednesday against Tasmania.
“Then if you are looking for the emerging star, the young kid coming through, you can't play Konstas, but you can play Kellaway because he’s getting runs at the right time,” White said.
“I'd be playing him (Kellaway) ahead of Renshaw because he’s got runs over a 12-month period, he’s a star on the rise.
“Now, personally, I don't think he's quite ready. I wouldn't be playing him just at the moment.
“But, his body of work is more impressive than Matt Renshaw's body of work, and Campbell Kellaway is doing it in much more difficult circumstances with the wickets, not only at the Junction Oval but at the MCG as Victoria's home base.
“He gets tough runs, Kellaway… you just can't play a player because though he's matured and he might do this and he might do that.
“You've got to go on what people have actually done.”
Australia are expected to announce their squad for the first Ashes Test after the conclusion of the current round of Shield fixtures.
