'I call him my life coach' - Matt Renshaw credits Usman Khawaja for Test recall

Young Australian opener Matt Renshaw is in line to appear for Australia in the Sydney Test against the Proteas for the first time since 2018. The 26-year-old was added to the squad for the series finale along with Ashton Agar, following injuries to Cameron Green and Mitchell Starc. Renshaw credited 'life coach' Usman Khawaja for his Test recall.

Matt Renshaw made his debut for the Aussies as a 20-year-old and rose to fame instantly with prolific outings against Pakistan in a home series. However, a dip in form has resigned him to the sidelines since 2018. Following his return to the Test squad, the young opener was all praise for his senior Queensland teammate Usman Khawaja, hailing him as his life coach.

"He's someone I'm quite close to. I call him my life coach. He hasn't accepted the role, but unfortunately for him, it's not a role that you can accept – it's just given to you. He knows me quite well, he knows when I'm up or down, and knows when I need to be checked in line as well," Renshaw was quoted as saying by an Australian media outlet.

Making sure I am myself has seemed to have worked in the last few years: Renshaw

Renshaw was dropped from the national team ahead of the 2017-18 Ashes and was only included in the Test match against South Africa in 2018 after the infamous ball-tampering scandal left Australia short of batting options. His misery was compounded after he was dropped from Queensland's Shield side in 2020. 

He made an impressive return to cricket after making some technical changes to his batting. However, the youngster feels it was more of a mental thing that hindered his progress. He no longer feels the need to emulate somebody he is not and is comfortable in his own skin.

"A lot of it is mental. A lot of work away from Queensland cricket, away from the Brisbane Heat, away from Australian cricket, just doing some of my own stuff, which has really helped me. As a 20-year-old, I still wasn't sure who I was at that point. I was trying to be someone else, trying to be what people wanted me to be. So just making sure I am myself has seemed to have worked in the last few years," Renshaw added.