Glenn Maxwell laments 'broken start' as Australia Test selection still eludes him

Sport360 staff 23:32 14/11/2018
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  • Maxwell has spoken of his frustrations with the constant format-switch.

    Australia batsman Glenn Maxwell has spoken of his frustrations over what he put down as a ‘broken start’ to his home season.

    The maverick batsman has been named in Australia’s squad for the upcoming three T20s against India but will barely have time to push his case for selection in the Test squad for the series opener at the Adelaide Oval.

    The first of the four Tests between Australia and India gets under way at Adelaide at December 6, before which Maxwell will play a Sheffield Shield clash for Victoria.

    However, the right-hander believes his chances to push for a Test selection are slim given the Australian team for the Adelaide clash could well be decided before the first round of the Sheffield Shield clashes get underway on November 27.

    “It’s a broken sort of start to the season. You get flown here, there and everywhere and changing formats and then as soon as these four T20s are done you’re back into Shield cricket and trying to put your name back up for Test selection,” Maxwell told radio station SEN on Wednesday.

    “I’ve been working on different things to what I had been during the JLT Cup period. Heading straight into the T20s over in Dubai (against Pakistan), I was working on a lot of power hitting and trying to clear the rope.

    “Then get back into the one-day stuff and went back to technique stuff and then working on that and now all of a sudden we’re back into T20 stuff. As you feel like you’re about to make breakthroughs and you’re starting to work it out, you change format again and you can change position in the team. That can be very frustrating.”

    Despite Australia missing the services of the suspended Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, Maxwell failed to find a place in the Test squad for the series against Pakistan. He had earlier not been selected for Australia A’s tour of India.

    Maxwell failed to find a place in Australia's Test squad for the UAE.

    Maxwell failed to find a place in Australia’s Test squad for the UAE.

    It deprived Maxwell of a chance to push his case for inclusion in the squad for the Pakistan Tests even though the Australia selectors had earlier indicated that his previous track record in the subcontinent would be enough to justify a place.

    The right-handed batsman now does not expect his name to feature in the squad for the first Test against India although he isn’t completely ruling it out.

    “It’s probably not at the forefront of my mind – I’m not pencilling my name in for that first Test side. A lot’s going to have to go right, opportunity-wise – batting in the middle order in T20s, you’re basically just waiting on what happens above to see what effect you can possibly have on the game,” Maxwell explained.

    “The Shield stuff – hopefully I’ll get an opportunity to bat a long period of time and get a big number on the board. That’s what I’m thinking going forward. Hopefully if things go my way, I can be there.”

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