Australia selectors considering Glenn Maxwell for Sri Lanka tour in 2025 among other radical plans - Reports
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell could be in the fray for a potential red-ball comeback soon. According to a report by the Sydney Morning Herald, the selectors are keeping an eye on Maxwell for their tour of Sri Lanka in early 2025.
The two-match Test series marks their sole subcontinent outing in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. This is in contrast to the last time when Australia had to tour India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka in six months. In what was a challenging phase for Pat Cummins as captain, the team fared relatively well. They lost 1-2 against India, won 1-0 against Pakistan, and drew 1-1 against Sri Lanka. Combined with a dominant home season, they were able to make it to the WTC final and win the title.
Maxwell, who made his last Test appearance in 2017, was a notable absentee in the theT20I squad for the upcoming England tour. The decision to rest him from the shortest format has reportedly been taken keeping his potential red-ball return in mind.
Some early whispers suggest that Travis Head could be promoted to the top of the order with Smith reverting to his original place in the middle order. There is also a chance for the likes of Peter Handscomb and Josh Inglis to make it into the squad.
Maxwell will likely don a role in the lower-middle order and roll his arm over with his off-spin. The frontline spinners are touted to be Nathan Lyon and Matthew Kuhnesmann. Other tweakers like Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, and Mitchell Swepson are also expected to be in consideration when the time comes.
"We prioritise every Test, we’ll take that across the summer and see how the five Tests against India go and then we’ll make those decisions post that as to exactly how everyone’s travelling,” selection chair George Bailey said.
“What we do know about Sri Lanka is that potentially the surfaces there do give you a bit of a different make-up of your Test side so it doesn’t tend to look exactly the same as what the Test team over the Australian summer might look like," he added
Maxwell earned a call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka in 2022 but did not make it to the playing XI. His last first-class game came during the 2023 County Championship for Warwickshire, where he scored a quickfire 81. He was in consideration for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, but a freak accident leading to a leg injury right after the 2022 T20 World Cup hampered his plans.
The all-rounder stated the importance of the 2025 Sri Lanka tour as early as November 2023.
“Just the fact I was able to be on the Sri Lanka tour last year is a sign they still have me in their thoughts and see me as an option. Regardless of whether I played one or 30 games in red-ball cricket, I’m still going to be an option to go over there," Maxwell told the Sydney Morning Herald in November 2023
“I think that’s why 2025 in Sri Lanka is something I’ve put in my calendar as something I’m hopeful to be a part of, and not giving up hope that my Test cricket’s done. If I can get there and hopefully be good enough to take part in the series," he added
Maxwell is currently partaking in the 2024 Major League Cricket (MLC) for the Washington Freedom.
Seven Tests, one appearance as an opener, and one hundred - A look at Maxwell's bizarre Test career
Glenn Maxwell made his Test debut during Australia's infamous 2013 tour of India. He featured in the lower-middle order across the first three innings before playing as an opener. It was far from a memorable maiden tour as he was dismissed thrice by Ravindra Jadeja.
After a decent outing against Pakistan in 2014, he wasn't part of the Test team for three years. Maxwell scored his maiden hundred in his return Test against India in Ranchi and went on to play in the tour of Bangladesh as well.
He has scored 339 runs in seven appearances at an average of 26.08 with eight wickets to his name.