{
  "id": 13082285,
  "title": "‘Baffling selection bears no fruit’: Fans react as Nic Maddinson endures a 'painful' 33-dall duck vs South Africa on Aussie return",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/baffling-selection-bears-no-fruit-fans-react-as-nic-maddinson-endures",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-09T09:36:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/baffling-selection-bears-no-fruit-093602664.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Fans have harshly reacted to Nic Maddinson's painful 33-ball duck in his Test return against South Africa during Australia's tour of South Africa. The selection of Maddinson, who had not played a Test since 2016, drew criticism before he even faced a ball. Australia added him to the squad on October 1, after Josh Inglis withdrew due to injury. Maddinson's 33-ball duck came after Australia elected to bat first, and he opened alongside Travis Head. Chair of selectors George Bailey defended the call, citing Maddinson's flexibility in the batting order and potential impact on the upcoming India series. However, fans have pointed out that Maddinson's experience in first-class cricket is limited, and his 18-month absence from the game makes the selection seem short-sighted and unwise. The poor performance has left many wondering if the selection was worth the risk.",
  "summary": "While his selection for the South African tour was already under scrutiny, Nic Maddinson's 33-ball duck provides no consolation for the opening batter in front of Aussie fans.",
  "key_points": [
    "Nic Maddinson endured a painful 33-ball duck in Test return.",
    "Fans harshly reacted to Maddinson's selection.",
    "Selection criticized for limited experience and short-sightedness."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "What the Maddinson selection tells us about the state of Australian cricket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/what-the-maddinson-selection-tells-us-about-the-state-of-australian",
        "published": "2026-10-09T04:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "What the Maddinson selection tells us about the state of Australian cricket",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/what-the-maddinson-selection-tells-us-about-the-state-of-australian-13032473",
        "published": "2026-10-09T04:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Nic Maddinson creates unwanted record for longest duck by opener in 21st century",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/nic-maddinson-creates-unwanted-record-for-longest-duck-by-opener-in",
        "published": "2026-10-09T08:46:57.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}