"It’s what is giving me the most grief" - Glenn Maxwell admits leg injury two years ago still bothering him as all-rounder targets Test return
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell feels a freak injury to his leg from two years ago continues to bother him and could hamper his chances of playing Test cricket. The veteran Aussie said he is keen to tour Sri Lanka early next year for the two-Test series and is hoping his body can keep up.
The 35-year-old has featured only in seven Tests in his career, the last of which came in September 2017. Maxwell has managed 339 runs in seven Tests at 26.07, but notably, scored a hundred in India. His last first-class fixture also came in July 2023 while plying his trade for Warwickshire.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Maxwell said he has put in plenty of hard yards to ensure that his leg is good enough to get through a full day of cricket. However, he is unsure how much will Shield cricket weigh in selectors' minds when selecting the squad for Sri Lanka.
Maxwell said, as quoted by news.com.au:
"It’s still my leg. It’s what is giving me the most grief since breaking it, so it’s still a work in progress. It’s something I have to work hard on every day to make sure it’s in a position where I feel like I can get through a full day of cricket unscathed and hopefully pain-free.
"It would be great if I could get my body into a position where I can play over (in Sri Lanka), but as far as Shield cricket, I’m not sure how much they’ll take that into consideration, and whether or not I need to prove I can get through four days of cricket before I play Test cricket."
"Hopefully my body’s going really well and I can put my hand up for the Test stuff as well, but there’s still a lot of work left to do and a lot of boxes to tick before then."
The freak accident to his leg occurred in November 2022 ahead of the limited-overs series against England, ruling him out for a lengthy period.
Maxwell also suffered a concussion during the 2023 World Cup after coming off the back of the cart. Additionally, he lost consciousness after an alcohol-related incident earlier this year.
"You’ve got to have a really solid game plan against spin" - Glenn Maxwell on playing in Sri Lanka
Maxwell also hinted that the selectors are likely to pick players for the Sri Lanka tour who are good against spin instead of going on Shield form. He explained:
"They’ve been pretty open to selecting outside the box for players who do well in those conditions, and knowing what it’s like in Sri Lanka, I don’t think Shield form is going to be a huge factor in how someone is going to go over there.
"It’s just completely different conditions, you’ve got to have a really solid game plan against spin and a really good idea of how you’re going to tackle them in those conditions – it’s a different beast."
Australia will face India in a grueling Test five-match series, which starts on November 22.