Maddinson reflects on 'surprising' state switch

Injured Melbourne Stars opener Nic Maddinson says the move to Victoria this off-season was the change he needed to have after his 'surprising' exit from NSW last summer.

In May, Maddinson was axed by Cricket NSW after eight seasons. Inconsistency for the Blues at JLT Sheffield Shield level was the reason given by CNSW.

The left-hander learnt his fate while he was holidaying in Mexico, unsure at first what to make of the news but glad he wasn't at home to experience it.

While he hadn't enjoyed a prolific Shield season in 2017-18 – one half-century and an average of 23.61 in seven matches – he thought his award-winning efforts in the JLT One-Day Cup, where he posted 398 runs, would have been enough to retain a coveted Blues contract.

That wasn't the case and Maddinson was shown the door.

"I was pretty surprised," Maddinson told cricket.com.au when asked about losing his Blues deal.

"I understood it in a way but coming off being (NSW) one-day player of the year I thought I deserved to at least have a contract and then try and earn a spot through performances to get back into the Shield team.

"I thought that was the approach they might have taken."

It left Maddinson with a decision to make: where to next?

Having signed a three-year deal with Melbourne Stars, Victoria was the logical choice and one the left-hander investigated.

He spoke to Stars teammates Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell about the environment in Victoria, but perhaps the biggest drawcard was coach Andrew McDonald.

"I'd heard great things about him as a coach – for Victoria but also when he was at Leicester – and just how he went about managing the team and players," Maddinson said.

"When I looked I thought it was a big picture thing.

"I didn't expect to be playing Shield cricket my first year there, it was more a long-term view and thought 'well if I was there playing club cricket, obviously Victoria are a really strong team, there might be an opportunity at some stage for selection' and that's what happened in the end.

"That was probably why I landed on Melbourne."

So Maddinson made the move to Victoria, without a state contract and no promises of getting one.

He joined Victoria Premier Cricket side St Kilda and before long found himself in Victoria's title-winning JLT Cup team and through volume of matches, won himself a state contract.

Changes big and small were made and they have paid off so far.

"I think it's been a good move," he said.

"I feel like I'm in a pretty good place with my game. I've changed a little bit about my game and I guess when you're playing for a new team and trying to push for selection you have to adapt a little bit and I think it's helped me grow as a player.

"It turned out well and I'm happy where I am and sometimes change is good and without going through that I might not have been willing to make the change, in a way.

"Being forced to do things differently has helped me grow as a player and I'm having fun."

But just as Maddinson was flying his wings were clipped.

National selection afforded Maddinson an opportunity in the Shield side, a chance he took with both hands while he could.

Batting out in the middle of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in his maiden Shield appearance for his new state, Maddinson was on 10 having earlier posted 162 in his first innings for Victoria.

With tea closing in, the southpaw was struck by a searing delivery from Western Australia paceman Jhye Richardson that snapped his arm near the wrist.

The blow required surgery, a metal plate and six steel screws which has left a nasty scar on his right forearm. He joked a new tattoo might be required to cover it up.

Eerily, with the BBL around the corner, the thought of injury had crossed his mind.

"I think because I was looking forward to Big Bash so much and I didn’t want anything to hinder it," the 27-year-old said. "You start thinking 'I hope nothing goes wrong'."

"I actually went into the game really confident where I think before, sometimes when you're playing a lot of Shield cricket you're hanging on to your spot or playing for your spot.

"I felt like I had nothing to really lose. I gained selection through guys playing for Australia, so I felt like there was no pressure on me really and I felt like I had been batting well.

"It probably showed in how I played. My dad said he was watching the live stream and he thought it was as relaxed as I've ever looked at the crease and it felt a bit like that. Confidence is a strange thing."

Maddinson is right on track for a return for the Stars next month, which could be as early as the clash with the Perth Scorchers at the MCG on January 9.

"I'm hoping within the next couple of weeks," he said.

"In mid-January we have a stretch of two or three games in the space a week so somewhere around any of those three at the moment, just depends on how it pulls up.

"When we get back to Melbourne and start training this week we'll start pushing it a little bit more and start doing some fielding drills and having more of a hit under more intensity and see how it pulls up."