Australia’s new-boy Nic Maddinson, who has endured a torrid start to his Test career, has taken an indefinite break from cricket.

The 25-year-old was drafted into a new-look Australian side along with fellow debutants Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb during the Adelaide Test against South Africa in November. While the latter two have gone on to cement their spots in the starting eleven, Maddinson has cut a sorry figure.

He began his Test career with a second-ball duck and followed it with 1 and 4 in the Brisbane Test against Pakistan. In the succeeding Test at the MCG, he scored 22, which forced the Australian team to drop him for the third Test against Pakistan at the SCG.

Luck deserted him in the Big Bash League (BBL 06) too where he could score only 75 runs at 10.71 in seven matches including the score of 1 and 1 in the final two matches while playing for Sydney Sixers.

Since then, he has not played any game and missed the New South Wales’ Shield win over table toppers Victoria and there is still no timetable set for his return.

The news was confirmed from a Cricket Australia statement.

“Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW advises that Australian and NSW batsman Nic Maddinson will not be available for selection due to personal reasons, until further notice,” a CA statement said.

The poor form also saw him missing a place in the squad for the upcoming Test series against India.

Recently, he had said that he was not thinking about playing Test cricket since facing the axe from the national team.

He had said:

“I don’t know whether I was trying to convince myself I was ready or I actually believed it but I thought I was.

“Still, you don’t know until you’re there and have to perform under that pressure. At the time I didn’t feel out of place being in Test cricket. When I was batting I felt comfortable, I wasn’t nervous or stressed about being up to the challenge.

“I thought I was adequate and had a few good opportunities to nail down a spot which I missed out so that was disappointing,” he concluded.