In-form Queensland allrounder and fringe Australia Test seamer Michael Neser has returned to the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in Hobart after missing the second day's play due to personal reasons which saw him travel home.
"Things are more positive now and I can re-join the team for the remainder of the game," Neser said in a statement on Saturday morning. "I am very grateful for the backing we have received and thank everyone for their support and understanding."
Neser will re-enter the match under the usual first-class playing conditions after missing the remainder of the Queensland first innings batting and the bulk of the Tasmanian first innings.
Neser was 51 not out overnight on the first day batting at No.5 for the first time in his first-class career, continuing his red-hot form. He did not resume his innings on the morning of day two and was retired out. He could not be replaced in the XI which meant Queensland had 10 players.
It is understood Neser was elevated to No.5 on day one because it was already known he would be leaving the match. There are limited flights from Hobart to Brisbane which meant he could not leave any earlier. He was given a license to play aggressively and clubbed five fours and a six in his 71-ball innings. There were periods when Tasmania had nearly every fielder on the fence for him while they maintained a conventional ring field for Joe Burns who had made a century at the other end.
Under Cricket Australia's Sheffield Shield playing conditions, players can only be replaced in a match for concussion or international call-ups.
Queensland were already without captain Usman Khawaja who is resting for the second straight Shield match as part of his workload management ahead of the upcoming Test summer which features seven Tests against Pakistan, West Indies and New Zealand in the space of three months.
Neser's withdrawal came in the midst of a career purple patch with the bat. In his last 10 first-class innings, playing for Glamorgan in the County Championship and Queensland in the Shield dating back to April this year, Neser has scored 785 runs at 87.22 including scores of 90, 86, 123, 176*, 140, 90, and 51. He had also taken 23 wickets at 26.08 in those eight matches including a seven-wicket haul.