Australia have recalled Nic Maddinson for the first Test against South Africa after the New South Wales batsman recovered from testicular cancer.
Maddinson and Victoria wicketkeeper Sam Harper have been added to the touring squad to cover Josh Inglis, who will miss the series opener with a finger injury.
Maddinson, 34, who played three Tests for Australia in late 2016, was diagnosed in April 2025 with testicular cancer that had spread to his lungs and lymph nodes.
He finished chemotherapy in July 2025 and was given the all clear to resume his career eight weeks after the last phase of treatment.
He has not played first-class cricket since his diagnosis but made five appearances in last season’s Big Head League and scored 126 for New South Wales against Victoria on Sunday in Australia’s domestic one-day competition.
Harper, 29, scored 128 for Australia A against India A in the ongoing unofficial Test in Puducherry this week, taking him to 677 runs in the 2025-26 Sheffield Shield season.
Maddinson and Harper are in contention for selection for the first game of the three-match series starting in Durban on Friday, October 9.
“Sam gives us wicket cover as Josh continues to recover, while Nick provides batting flexibility,” Australian chairman of selectors George Bailey said.
All-rounder Cameron Green is a doubt for the first Test after sustaining an abdominal strain while batting in the last of the three ODIs that precede the red-ball series.
In Inglis’s case, initial scans have confirmed a fractured right index finger, an injury that will need to be monitored before a possible return for the second Test at Qgeberha.