David Warner's Bold Stance: Why He’s Against Glenn Maxwell's Return to the Australian Team

David Warner has expressed his opposition to Glenn Maxwell's aim to rejoin Test cricket for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour, citing Maxwell's insufficient red-ball experience in the Sheffield Shield as a concern despite his enthusiasm for the format.

P24 News Media

December 12, 2024

1 minute

David Warner's Bold Stance: Why He’s Against Glenn Maxwell's Return to the Australian Team

India

Recently, Glenn Maxwell conveyed his eagerness to be part of the Australian Test team for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, he has not participated in any first-class matches since the previous year. Although Maxwell had intended to represent Victoria in the Sheffield Shield, a hamstring injury sustained during the recent white-ball series against Pakistan has sidelined him from competing.

David Warner shared his reservations regarding Maxwell's chances of rejoining the Test squad for Sri Lanka while speaking with CODE Sports. Warner highlighted concerns about Maxwell's dedication to red-ball cricket, stating that participation in four-day matches is crucial for anyone in contention for Test selection. He questioned why Maxwell would deserve a spot if he isn't being selected for his domestic Shield team.

Warner emphasized the importance of demonstrating a genuine desire to play in the longer format of the game. "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 putting his hand up, he’s playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket, he, in my (opinion), doesn’t deserve that opportunity," he remarked. He added that simply expressing a wish to play is insufficient; players must show determination and a willingness to put in the necessary effort.

At present, Australia is engaged in a five-match Test series against India on home soil. After concluding the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Australia will complete their 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle with two Test matches in Sri Lanka beginning on January 29.

On the other hand, Glenn Maxwell has expressed that he is diligently preparing for Test cricket. He described this period as one of the most enjoyable phases of his career, emphasizing his focus on solid defense while also seeking effective scoring options. "The week or so leading up [to the Sri Lankan Tests in 2025] is probably the most fun I have ever had in practice and training, going into different conditions, working out different strategies and trying to implement them against your own teammates,” Maxwell mentioned in an interview with the Sydney Morning Herald.

Maxwell affirmed his intention to maintain the same tactics that he has employed in previous Test matches, relying on his strengths while ensuring a robust defense complemented by various scoring methods. "My tactics will be exactly the same as I have played it in Tests in the past, backing my strengths and trying to have a really solid defense and backing scoring options around that," he stated.

Reflecting on his career, Glenn Maxwell made his Test debut during the 2013 Border-Gavaskar series held in India. His last appearance in a Test match dates back over seven years to 2017, during Australia's tour of Bangladesh. Throughout his career, Maxwell has participated in seven Test matches against Asian teams in away series, with his most notable performance occurring against India in 2017 when he achieved his only Test century. To date, he has accumulated 339 runs at an average exceeding 26 and has taken eight wickets in Test cricket.