Glenn Maxwell set to play in 2024/25 Sheffield Shield to reignite Test hopes
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is set to return for Victoria in the upcoming 2024/25 Sheffield Shield with a potential Test return on the horizon. Maxwell is currently playing in the ODI series in the UK and has not featured in a Shield game for Victoria since February 2023.
The 35-year-old has played only two first-class matches in the past five years due to white-ball commitments and a few injuries.
However, Victoria captain Will Sutherland said as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:
"I think he'll be available for a couple and I believe he's keen to play as well. Obviously, things can change with him playing at the moment, but to have a player like Glenn potentially come into our side is a bit of a luxury, so hopefully that can work out nicely."
While Maxwell is unlikely to be part of the Australian squad for the marquee Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in November, he could push to be part of the Test tour to Sri Lanka in January 2025.
The Shield games start on October 8 and the talismanic all-rounder will likely have to play the matches during Australia's off-time in white-ball cricket and the Big Bash League (BBL).
Maxwell last played a first-class game for Warwickshire against Kent in the County Championship in July last year. While he picked up only the lone wicket across the two innings, the swashbuckling batter scored a brilliant 81 off 67 deliveries.
How has Glenn Maxwell fared for Australia in Tests?
Glenn Maxwell has featured in seven Tests for Australia in his career with his last outing coming in 2017. Unsurprisingly, all seven of his red-bal outings have come in subcontinent conditions against India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.
While he scored a magnificent century in the third Test of Australia's 2017 tour to India in Ranchi, that remains his lone 50+ score in Tests. Maxwell averages an underwhelming 26.07 with eight of his 14 innings being sub-20 scores.
The veteran cricketer has also struggled with the ball in Tests, picking up only eight wickets at an average of 42.62.
His last Test outing came in the 2017 tour of Bangladesh when he scored 38 and 25* in Australia's seven-wicket win in the second Test.