SL vs AUS 2022 | Was shattered to not play in Tests against Sri Lanka in spite of being picked in touring squad, admits Glenn Maxwell

Australia played out a 1-1 draw in the two-match Test series against Sri Lanka earlier this month. Glenn Maxwell had earned a recall to Test cricket after a gap of five years as he played his last red-ball game in 2017. Playing seven Tests in his career so far, Maxwell has scored 339 runs at 26.07 with the highest score being 104 against India in 2017. 

In spite of being added to the squad for the tour, he missed out on both the Tests. Reflecting on the experience, Maxwell remarked that he was shattered to return without playing any Tests in the series. 

"I was shattered when I got told. It wasn't that I thought they made the wrong call, I was just genuinely disappointed. I really wanted to play. I loved being a part of it [Test cricket], and I loved the thought of playing again,” Maxwell was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

"Even not thinking about Test cricket for a couple of years, I felt like I was ready again. I loved working with the coaches and coming up with new tactics to deal with difficult spin bowling and balls exploding,” he stated.

For the first Test, Maxwell was drafted in as backup for injured Travis Head. However, Head passed a fitness Test and the all-rounder had to sit out. In the second Test, captain Pat Cummins was considering the option of bringing in Maxwell in place of Mitchell Starc. Eventually, the left-arm pacer got the nod ahead of Maxwell. Reflecting on Head playing ahead of him in the first Test, Maxwell backed the call by selectors. 

"I'm glad Heady got through his fitness test because I'd have hated to be in because of an injury to one of your players. Unfortunately, they changed the conditions. If it was the same conditions for both Tests, I probably would have played. But they made a slightly better wicket, and the selectors made the right call,” he explained.