Ashes 2017: Meet the Australian star who could have played for England this winter

When Middlesbrough-born Matt Renshaw was handed his first Aussie Test cap 12 months ago against South Africa, it was widely seen as an indication of a scattergun selectorial approach from a country that had been previously been a byword for consistency.

The fact that Renshaw was born in the north east to English parents, also suggested that the country who had constantly criticised England for picking South African-born players in past had gone full circle.

Forward-wind a year and Renshaw is firmly established as Warner’s opening partner and looking forward to locking horns, not just with the country he used to call home, but also a childhood mate in England captain Joe Root.

The pairs’ parents used to play together for Sheffield Collegiate, with Joe and his brother Billy enjoying outfield knockabouts with a young Renshaw before the latter upped sticks and headed, first to New Zealand, and then to Australia in 2007.

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A further link between the Renshaw family and England’s current Test and one-day squad is extended when Matt’s father, Ian, reveals that his wife, Alison, also used to act as a maths tutor to one-day star, Liam Plunkett.

And it doesn’t end there.

“We left Teesside as I went to work at Sheffield Hallam University where I taught coaching and sport psychology,” says Renshaw. “I worked with Mark Bawden there, who was the England sport psychologist with (Andrew) Strauss and (Andy) Flower.

“I also supervised Mike Rotheram on his UG (undergraduate) thesis and for his Masters. Mike is currently in Oz as the sport psych for England’s women. When I was in Sheffield I played at Sheffield collegiate, hence the link with the Roots and Richard Kettleborough (the former Yorkshire batsman and now international umpire) who captained me.

“Helen (Root’s mum) and Alison are both Geordies, and Helen says that (during the Ashes) we can be Sunderland and they can be Newcastle. It will never happen!”

Renshaw, who played two matches for Nottinghamshire Second XI at the age of 19, now works in Brisbane at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and has been an influential figure in the revamping of Australia’s approach to how children in the country learn the game.

With that kind of background, it’s little wonder that his son is known for his studious approach to batting – the straight man to Warner’s rather more colourful style.

His 184 against Pakistan in the New Year Test at Sydney suggested that Australia were right to take a chance on a player who had played only 12 First Class matches – just one more than Warner when he got his own Test call in 2011.

So how did his family feel when their Newcastle United supporting son was handed the fabled Baggy Green?

“It was obviously a very proud and surreal moment,” says Ian, who was born in Sutton-in-Ashfield. “People say it was always going to happen but we never thought that until the phone call on the Sunday he was selected.

As well as his brief junior forays onto the outfield of Sheffield Collegiate’s Abbeydale Park home, Renshaw also spent a summer in England playing for the MCC Young Cricketers.

The MCC programme was chosen with the aim of Renshaw slipping stealth-like into England without attracting any undue attention from counties with an interest in exploiting his English roots.

On the subject of roots, it also allowed him to spend a season playing with Joe’s brother Billy, who is now with Nottinghamshire. Mark Alleyne worked with both teenagers during that 2014 season and although he was under strict instructions from Cricket Australia to ensure that any approaches to Renshaw were rebuffed, he thought that Billy could be England’s secret weapon in attempting a defection.

“You get quite close to the parents,” says Alleyne. “It would have been misguided for me to try and turn him towards England and away from Australia. We had Billy Root with us at the time, though, and he and Matt got along very well. I thought he might be able to do a conversion on him but it clearly didn’t work!”

As it was, any attempt to lure Renshaw home would have been thwarted anyway. Cricket Australia’s initial request for Renshaw to spend time in England was through a personally penned letter from former captain Greg Chappell, who was in no doubt that he would benefit hugely from gaining experience on English pitches.

Renshaw scored runs consistently throughout that summer, as well as showing flashes of impetuosity more readily associated with his Test opening partner.

“He had some really great days, where he looked like a player who would go on to do what he’s doing now but, at the time, there was some immaturity that came through on the pitch,” says Alleyne.

“At times he wasn’t as focused as should have been, but he was a young boy learning his way. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but he had to be pulled over a few times. There was one incident with Paul Pollard, the umpire, who wasn’t happy with his behaviour on the pitch.

“It wasn’t malicious just a bit over the top. That was all part of his learning.”

There will be plenty of verbals flying backwards and forwards in the coming months, although Renshaw has generally been one to let his batting do the talking throughout his 10 Test career.

The weaknesses that the England captain would have noticed in Sheffield at the age of seven are likely to have long since vanished but despite the close links between the two families, the onset of hostilities will ensure a five match suspension of niceties, on the pitch, at least.

In the stands, meanwhile, Ian and Root’s father, Matt, can share a beer or two while they reminisce about their opening stands of days gone by.

“We clicked as a partnership,” says Ian. “When we played we stole lots of singles. He was more aggressive and I was boring.”

If Renshaw and Warner dovetail as nicely this winter then England could be in trouble.