Legendary captain Ricky Ponting wants the Australian selection committee to include all-rounder Glenn Maxwell into the Test squad. Wanting Australia to reap rewards of his impeccable white-ball form, Ponting pointed out Maxwell’s career-defining ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 knock against Afghanistan.
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Assuming it happens, Maxwell will get to play a Test for the eighth time – more than six years after his last appearance in 2017. It is to be noted that all seven of Maxwell’s Tests have come in Asia (four in India, two in Bangladesh and one in the UAE). As far as his last first-class match is concerned, the 35-year old player had played a solitary match for Warwickshire earlier this year.
“I could see him getting back into a Test line-up because of the all-round game that he brings in those conditions. The [201] not out in that game against Afghanistan, which is the most remarkable one-day innings I’ve ever seen. I’ve been around a lot of games, watched a lot of games, played a lot of games, I’ve never ever seen anything like that,” Ponting told SEN as quoted by cricket.com.au.
Ponting developing a liking for Maxwell’s absolutely maniac innings in quite understandable. Apart from the sheer nature of the knock, what caught everyone’s attention was Maxwell’s composed valour in an intensely pressure-generating situation. Maxwell weaving a never-seen-before innings in the absence of a specialist batter’s luxury at the other end was astonishing, to say the least.
Maxwell, who has a Test century in India under his belt, was disappointed upon being overlooked for Australia A’s tour of India 2018. That said, almost three years later, he had expressed a desire to play Test cricket for Australia on the back of solid white-ball performances.
Pretty close to a Test comeback during Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka 2022, Maxwell had eventually missed out on a spot in the Playing XI in spite of pitching himself as a great addition to the squad. Upon returning back home, he even decided to play for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.
How Can Glenn Maxwell Return To The Test Squad?
Even though Sheffield Shield 2023-24 has kick-started down under, Maxwell is yet to participate in the competition. Having returned from an elongated but successful tour of India as recent as yesterday, his participation in the near future seems highly unlikely. Readers must note that Maxwell had scored a mere five runs during his last Shield appearance earlier this year.
With Australian players already jostling for middle-order spots, only a wild card entry can make way for Maxwell’s Test comeback at the moment. Barring Tests in the subcontinent conditions, Australia rarely prefer a spin-bowling all-rounder. Thus, further making it difficult for him.
Considering how Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith and Travis Head can’t be dropped, Maxwell’s return to the format appears uncertain before Australia’s tour of Sri Lanka 2025. Only time will tell whether Maxwell would be interested in Test cricket till then or not. For now, him frequently playing first-class matches wouldn’t be a bad start in order to fulfill his Test aspirations.
