"I don't think I stand anywhere near it" - Glenn Maxwell on returning to Test cricket
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell believes the ship has sailed for him as far as playing Test cricket for Australia again is concerned. The 32-year-old is now focused on prolonging his international white-ball career.
Glenn Maxwell has played only seven Tests for Australia, scoring 339 runs at a modest average of 26.07. He last represented his country in red-ball cricket against Bangladesh in 2017.
Speaking to Herald Sun, Glenn Maxwell explained why he feels he has no chance of making a comeback in the longest format. He stressed that Australian cricket has a lot of options other than him to look at.
"I don't think I stand anywhere near it, to be honest. They've got their idea of what they want. They've got guys in there at the moment who are very, very good first-class players," Maxwell said.
Glenn Maxwell believes young all-rounder Cameron Green has made the No.6 spot in the Australian Test team his very own. In the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Green scored 236 runs in four Tests at a decent average of 33.71. He was the hosts' third-highest run-scorer.
Maxwell also believes players like Will Pucovski and Travis Head are ahead of him in the pecking order. Thus, he has come to terms with the fact that the chances of him wearing a Baggy Green again are dim.
"Cameron Green we can see is going to be an absolute superstar, Puck (Will Pucovski), Travis Head's on the bench averaging 40 in Test cricket. They've got more than enough," he further added.
Glenn Maxwell does not want to risk his spot in the one-day team
Glenn Maxwell understands that one of the main ways to get back into the Australian Test team is to perform in domestic tournaments like the Sheffield Shield.
However, the 32-year-old does not play enough domestic red-ball cricket as his focus is solely on the limited-overs format.
Although Australia are trying to find answers to their middle-order woes in the longest format, Maxwell doesn't want to risk his place in the ODI team by shifting his concentration to red-ball cricket.
"It's one of those things where sometimes it's a bit of a double-edged sword. You'd love to put your name forward for higher honours, but at the risk of losing your spot in the one-day team it's not worth it," Glenn Maxwell said.
With two T20 World Cups and a 50-over World Cup set to be played in the next three years, Glenn Maxwell will be itching to make a significant impact for the Australian team and help them win some silverware.