When the going gets weird, Matt Renshaw turns pro.
That’s the word from the Brisbane Heat left-hander as he targets enhancing his burgeoning reputation in white-ball cricket by embracing self-admittedly “weird” ways.
The Champions Trophy will be played in Pakistan in February next year and Renshaw’s form in the One-Day Cup this season has made a statement that he would not be out of place if given a chance for Australia.
He leads the domestic aggregate list with 283 runs at 70.75, including one imperious century and two half-centuries.
The 28-year-old has also shone in the BBL in big games. His unbeaten 40 off just 22 deliveries in the final last summer was key to the Heat’s win against Sydney Sixers. The previous season Renshaw made 90no to help Heat defeat Melbourne Stars with a boundary off the final ball in their late push to the final.
“It’s my intent. This year I’ve had a lot more positivity,” Renshaw said when asked about his white-ball form.
“At the start of the year I was probably battling with trying to not engage with that and to calm myself, because I am quite an upbeat kind of guy especially while I am batting.
“I was trying to calm that down, but I worked out that I needed to steer into it and be a little bit weird. That’s OK. Just enjoy being weird.
"My footwork has started to improve since I have started doing that and I'm in way better positions when I need to hit the ball."
Renshaw, who has played 14 Tests for Australia, is now comfortable being himself around his teammates as he explained what the “weirdness” meant to him.
"I try and have fun, make fun of people and make fun of myself,” he said.
“It has definitely come a long way since I was 19 coming into sides with people telling me I can’t talk. Now I feel like I can be myself around any group
“We are all kooky and strange being in this profession. You see that at all levels."
Renshaw once had the reputation as an obdurate who could get in the trenches and fight through a tough time in red-ball cricket, but not so much known for his flamboyance.
“I feel like I can do both now. I can be quite conservative in the red-ball stuff. In the white-ball it is a lot of fun to play shots you are not known for," he said.
"In the white-ball stuff it is quite simple what I am trying to do ... watch the ball, hit the ball and score as quick as I can."
It was 'Gonzo' author Hunter S Thompson who famously said "when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Renshaw, who kicks off defending champions Heat's campaign on Wednesday away to Melbourne Stars, is ready for a national call-up and the next step in his pro' white-ball career.
"I am definitely ready if that opportunity comes. I have done it for a long period of time in domestic cricket," he said.
"One thing I definitely stressed at the start of the year around all (national) selection is that for me it is about trying to enjoy myself and play good cricket for the teams I'm in."
