The aspirations of Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to make a comeback in Test cricket may be jeopardised due to a leg injury he sustained two years ago. The 35-year-old has a formidable task to demonstrate his health and earn a berth in the Test team for the forthcoming Sri Lankan tour.
With just seven appearances since his debut—the most recent one occurring in September 2017—Maxwell’s Test career has been brief. In the Test match against India, Maxwell amassed a century against his average of 26.07. One of his most recent first-class experiences was with Warwickshire in July of 2023. He still hopes to play for the Tests, but the consequences of a bizarre leg injury from November 2022 have threatened that. The Melbourne native talked about the persistent problems with his limb.
My leg is still affected. It’s still an ongoing work in progress, but it’s what is causing me the greatest anguish since breaking it. In order to feel like I can play a whole day of cricket without being hurt or suffering, it’s something I have to work hard on every day, he said, as reported by news.com.au.
You must have a very strong strategy to counteract spin: Glenn Maxwell
In light of the impending tour, Maxwell expressed his resolve to get physically fit and his optimism that, given the chance, he will perform well with the bat and the ball. A concussion sustained during the 2023 World Cup and an incident with alcohol earlier this year have compounded the difficulty of the road to recovery.
“It would be fantastic if I could get my body in shape so that I could play over in Sri Lanka, but I’m not sure how much of a factor Shield cricket will take into account, or if I have to demonstrate that I can play four days of cricket before playing Test cricket. I’m hoping that my body is responding really well so I can put in my application for the Test as well, but there’s still a lot of work to be done and boxes to tick before then’, he continued.
Maxwell gave insight into the special requirements for subcontinental conditions during his discussion of the selection procedure for the Sri Lanka tour.
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Given what it’s like in Sri Lanka, I don’t think Shield form will play a major role in how someone performs there. They have been fairly flexible in choosing guys who perform well in those circumstances. He said, “It’s just entirely different conditions; you need to have a really good idea of how you’re going to tackle them in those conditions and a really solid game plan against spin. It’s a different beast.”
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