Australia big-hitter Glenn Maxwell is set to return to cricket after being named in Victoria’s 13-player Sheffield Shield squad, if he passes one more fitness test, after recovering from a broken leg he suffered in November last year.
Maxwell had to miss the T20 World Cup 2022 at home after he broke his left leg while having some fun at a birthday party of his friend. The freak accident robbed him of a chance to play his first Shield match in three years last December to push his claims for a Test recall during the four-match tour of India.
He also missed the entire KFC BBL season as the Melbourne Stars finished with the wooden spoon, but has returned to training with Victoria’s Shield squad in recent weeks. He is also playing a match for club side Fitzroy-Doncaster on Saturday and now awaits another fitness test to be sure of making his Sheffield Shield return for the first time since 2019.
To Bring A Player Of Glenn Maxwell’s Calibre Into The Squad Is Exciting: David Hussey
He has been included in Victoria’s 13-player Sheffield Shield squad to face South Australia but will need to come through an outing for his club side Fitzroy-Doncaster in Victorian Premier Cricket on Saturday and will then have one more fitness test before being confirmed in Victoria’s XI.
“To bring a player of Glenn’s calibre into the squad is exciting, he has a fantastic record in Shield cricket and it’s a shame he hasn’t been able to play more of it,” Cricket Victoria’s Head of Male Cricket, David Hussey said to cricket.com.au.
Maxwell was very close to a Test return last year on the tour of Sri Lanka after Travis Head faced fitness issues, and the second season of The Test documentary revealed out distraught he was at missing out. The last of his seven Tests came against Bangladesh at Chattogram in 2017.
However, Maxwell has confirmed a return to the Birmingham Bears in England’s T20 Blast competition, and a return to the London Spirit for the men’s Hundred, and still hopes to feature in the ODI series in India which will be played after the ongoing Test series.