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"Hide all the cricket stuff": Matt Renshaw reveals secret to avoid Ashes call-up pressure

Akshita Patel

Matt Renshaw on Ashes 2025 [Source: @codecricketau/X.com]Matt Renshaw on Ashes 2025 [Source: @codecricketau/X.com]

As the Ashes 2025 countdown heats up, most cricketers would be glued to the headlines, counting runs and whispers about team selection. But not Matt Renshaw, as the left-hander says he’s learnt to “hide” from all the noise.

Renshaw made his Test debut in 2016 at just 20 years old and scored a century in his fourth match. 

But after just 14 Tests (last in 2023), he found himself on the sidelines. Instead of chasing every selection update, Renshaw decided to focus on life off the field. 

Matt Renshaw is chill despite the uncertainty around the Ashes 2025 call-up

Speaking to reporters in Adelaide, Matt Renshaw admitted that while he’d love to open for Australia against England in Ashes 2025, he’s not letting the speculation consume him anymore.

"Obviously I want to be there, it would be remiss of me not to say that. There's been times in my career where I come off after a Shield game, and obviously all the Shield games are on at the same time, and you're looking at the scorecard, you're looking at different names, seeing how they went. But I try and stay away from it as much as possible," Renshaw said.

And he means it. The Queenslander revealed that he doesn’t even have the Cricket Australia app on his phone anymore. 

"When you're young, you go home, you have got nothing to do, so you're just sitting on your phone scrolling. I hide. I don't have the Cricket Australia app, I don't try and look at any news, I hide all the cricket stuff on my Instagram so I don't see it," he added.

For a player once seen as Australia’s next big Test opener, this mindset marks a massive shift. Now a father of two, he says family has brought him balance. 

"A lot of the time you try and force a few things, you see someone else gets runs, and you go: 'I need to score runs because then I'm going to be picked for Australia, then I'm going to become a good person. That whole mentality when you're young is that's how you view yourself as a person. Whereas now I go home and I've got to change nappies, I've got to put kids to bed, I've got to try and calm screaming babies down."

Renshaw’s relaxed approach appears to be paying off. He started the Sheffield Shield season with a century for Queensland and made an unbeaten 21 on his ODI debut against India last week. 

Whether or not Matt Renshaw opens in the Ashes, one thing’s certain that he’s batting on peace of mind first.

Who will open with Usman Khawaja in the Ashes?

Since David Warner retired from international cricket, the opening spot has become a revolving door for Australia in Test cricket. 

After the Steve Smith experiment failed, the Aussies tried to fit Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Konstas in the last few series.

However, since both players are struggling with form, Matt Renshaw finds himself back in the mix. He could get a call-up if Australia decides against backing young talent Konstas.

For now, only Khawaja is certain to open in Ashes 2025.