Glenn Maxwell has not played Test cricket for Australia since 2017, with his appearances limited to white-ball formats. Recently, Cricket Australia announced the squad for the white-ball tour to the United Kingdom, featuring series against England and Scotland. Beyond this, Australia faces the crucial Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India in December-January, and Maxwell might see a return to Test cricket during the red-ball tour to Sri Lanka in 2025.
This two-match Test series in Sri Lanka is part of Australia’s World Test Champions 2023-25 cycle. Reports from the Sydney Morning Herald suggest that Maxwell could be included in the playing XI, fitting into Australia’s strategy for the subcontinent.
The last time Australia toured Asia for an extended period, they lost to India 0-1, won against Pakistan 1-0, and drew 1-1 with Sri Lanka. George Bailey, the selection chair, emphasized the importance of each Test and indicated that decisions about the team’s composition will be made after assessing performances against India.
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“We prioritise every Test, we’ll take that across the summer and see how the five Tests against India go and then we’ll make those decisions post that as to exactly how everyone’s travelling,” George Bailey stated. He added, “What we do know about Sri Lanka is that potentially the surfaces there do give you a bit of a different make-up of your Test side so it doesn’t tend to look exactly the same as what the Test team over the Australian summer might look like.”
According to the Age
Cricket Australia is considering picking Glenn Maxwell for the red ball tour of Sri Lanka.#SLvsAUS #glennmaxwell pic.twitter.com/lGywVygILc
— Sportsermon (@SportSermon) July 19, 2024
Glenn Maxwell’s Test career has been marred by misfortune. He was called up for the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 but didn’t make the playing XI. He was also considered for the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India but had to withdraw due to a severe leg injury from an accident. Despite these setbacks, Maxwell has consistently expressed his desire to return to Test cricket, specifically eyeing the 2025 Sri Lanka tour.
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Reflecting on his prospects, Maxwell said in November 2023, “Just the fact I was able to be on the Sri Lanka tour last year is a sign they still have me in their thoughts and see me as an option. Regardless of whether I played one or 30 games in red-ball cricket, I’m still going to be an option to go over there.” His statement underscores his determination and the selectors’ continued interest in his potential as a valuable asset for Australia’s Test team in the subcontinent.
