Former Australian batter David Warner voiced his strong opinion on Glenn Maxwell's push for a return to Australia’s Test squad, suggesting the all-rounder doesn’t deserve the opportunity given his limited exposure to red-ball cricket.
Maxwell, who has expressed a desire to feature in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, recently played in a Sheffield Shield match against Queensland earlier this year. However, he has not participated in any other red-ball games since then.
Warner stated that it would be difficult for Maxwell to secure a spot in Australia’s Test team with such little recent experience. He further explained that Maxwell’s limited involvement in Shield cricket means he hasn’t shown the necessary commitment to earn a Test call-up.
“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 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,” said Warner.
“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,” he added.
The 36-year-old has played seven Test matches for Australia, scoring 339 runs at an average of 26.07, with his last appearance in the format coming in 2017 against Bangladesh.
It is pertinent to mention that Australia is currently engaged in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against India, with the five-match Test series tied at 1-1.
After this, the Kangaroos are scheduled to play an away two-match Test series against Sri Lanka from January 29 to February 10, 2025.
- David Warner
- Glenn Maxwell
