LNP – Australia coach declares Maxwell in frame for Sri Lanka Tests

Newly re-signed Australia coach Andrew McDonald has declared veteran allrounder Glenn Maxwell “100 per cent” in the frame for a long-awaited return to Test cricket in Sri Lanka.

The enigmatic Maxwell last appeared at Test level in 2017 when he featured on the tour of Bangladesh.

The 36-year-old was all but certain to be included for the four-Test series in India last year, but was ruled out after infamously breaking his leg at a party.

In his new book, The Showman, Maxwell wrote he would be doing himself an injustice if he gave up on his dream of adding to his seven Tests.

Maxwell just needs to stay fit and in form and he should be considered for the two Tests in Sri Lanka, starting in late-January.

His chances were enhanced after McDonald watched how New Zealand stunned India in spinning conditions last week.

“I think if you looked at the last two Test matches in Pakistan (against England) and India, the ability to play on that horizontal plane sweeping and reverse sweeping, I think will be a critical skill if the conditions are extreme,” McDonald said on Thursday.

“Does he (Maxwell) fit that profile? 100 per cent he fits that profile.

“The big challenge for ‘Maxi’ is clearly body and whether he can get through Test cricket, and what that may look like on the back of BBL.

“With ‘Maxi’, it’s he plays, see how he pulls up and then make the next decision on the back of that injury that he had.”

McDonald will lead Australia until the end of 2027 – an even bigger year than the busy 2023 that yielded a World Test Championship and a stunning ODI World Cup triumph in India.

He will be tasked with the difficult job of continuing to win, but also carefully managing an ageing team – 10 of the 11 Test incumbents are aged 30 or older.

If Maxwell plays in Sri Lanka, he would be the second oldest player in the XI behind opener Usman Khawaja.

“Our mindset is always about future proofing the team,” McDonald said.

“We’ve had opportunities in bilateral (white-ball) series to expose that next generation.

“Test cricket, it’s been slightly different. We have been really settled and almost predictable in the way that we’ve gone about it.

“But that’s not a bad thing when those players have been able to perform over a period of time and get us to No.1 in the Test rankings.”

Source: AAP
–Agencies