The Australian team management has always preferred a seaming all-rounder for the no. 6 position to back the seamers and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell rightly understands so.
However, Australia had suffered in recent times to find a good all-rounder who can fit into that slot after Shane Watson decided to hang his boots. It was Mitchell Marsh who replaced him; however, he lost his place after Australia lost to South Africa in Perth last summer.
The team management then came out of their tradition to select a specialist batsman for that slot in the form of Callum Ferguson and later Nic Maddinson which lasted for only three Tests before including Hilton Cartwright for the final Test of the 2016-17 season.
Glenn Maxwell, who has been in and out of the team wants to give every chance to push his batting credentials over the coming weeks when the domestic season starts, as his Victoria Bushrangers captain also indicated that he might get promoted to the top four in the batting order.
When asked about what he needs to achieve in the JLT Sheffield Shield so that he can retain his place in the Test team, he sarcastically took a dig at the selectors continuing the old tradition of picking a bowling all-rounder. He said to Melbourne radio station SEN,
“I probably have to bowl a bit of medium pace, probably around 140(km/h).”
Admitting he hasn’t scored enough runs in the past few years, he said he has to score a lot of runs and to get irresistible to select. Maxwell will eye the three Sheffield matches before the opening Test to hold on to his preferred Test spot, as the selectors have mentioned it clearly that these three games will worth a lot.
Maxwell, who is well aware of the reality, admitted that you have to perform in every single match for your team and if you are not doing what you are best at in the middle, there is no point thinking about a Test berth.
Maxwell, who has worked so much on his red-ball game, feels comfortable to play the Test cricket and enjoyed his time in Bangladesh despite getting out unfortunately in crunch situations.
Maxwell has worn the baggy green for seven times and scored 339 runs with the highest score of 104 against India in Ranchi earlier.