Former Australian batter David Warner has voiced a strong opinion on Glenn Maxwell’s potential return to Australia’s Test squad, suggesting that the all-rounder does not deserve the opportunity.
Warner’s comments come as Maxwell has expressed a desire to feature in Australia’s upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin on January 29, 2025.
Maxwell, who last played a Test match in 2017 against Bangladesh, has been vocal about his ambition to return to the longest format of the game. However, his lack of recent red-ball cricket has raised questions about his readiness for the format.
David Warner did not hold back in his assessment of Maxwell’s Test aspirations. Speaking to reporters, Warner stated,
If you’re not being picked for your Shield team, then why do you deserve it? You’ve got to actually want it, to want to play four-day cricket. Unless he’s [Glenn Maxwell] putting his hand up and playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket, in my opinion, he doesn’t deserve that opportunity.
Warner further elaborated: “I just don’t think you can keep putting your hand up to say, ‘I want to play just that.’ You know, it’s like me saying I just want to play in Australia—like, you’ve got to be seen to be wanting to do the work, grind it out, and do that.”
Glenn Maxwell has played seven Test matches for Australia, scoring 339 runs at an average of 26.07. His sole Test century came against India in Ranchi in 2017. Despite his success in limited-overs cricket, where he is regarded as one of the most explosive batters in the world, Maxwell has struggled to cement his place in the Test side.
Maxwell’s recent red-ball form has been limited to a solitary Sheffield Shield match earlier this year, where he scored 38 and 0 in two innings.
Australia is currently engaged in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, with the five-match Test series tied at 1-1. Following the conclusion of the series, the team will travel to Sri Lanka for a two-match Test series from January 29 to February 10, 2025.
For now, Maxwell’s Test ambitions hang in the balance, with the selectors set to announce the squad for the Sri Lanka series in the coming weeks. Whether Maxwell’s desire to return to the Test arena will be enough to secure him a spot remains to be seen.