Glenn Maxwell opens up about major hurdle in Test cricket comeback

The lingering effects of Glenn Maxwell's severe leg injury from nearly two years ago are the main concern for his potential Test cricket comeback in Sri Lanka next year.

Maxwell, who suffered a shattered fibula, chipped tibia, and ruptured ankle ligaments in November 2022, is still dealing with the aftermath of these injuries.

While Maxwell doesn't think playing a series of Sheffield Shield games is necessary to secure his spot, he may need to prove his fitness for five consecutive days of cricket.

This could require a return to red-ball cricket with Victoria, where coach Chris Rogers is open to selecting Maxwell for matches either before or after November’s white-ball series against Pakistan.

Maxwell's immediate focus remains on the upcoming 50-over matches in England, but he hasn’t ruled out any format in his future with the Australian team.

Cricket Australia rested him from the T20 games against Scotland and England to allow him to focus on conditioning ahead of another challenging summer.

Maxwell acknowledged that his leg continues to cause him the most difficulty since the injury, requiring extensive rehab and daily effort to ensure he can handle a full day of cricket without pain.

“It’s still my leg. It’s what is giving me the most grief since breaking it, so it’s still a work in progress,” Maxwell said.

“It’s something I have to work hard on every day to make sure it’s in a position where I feel like I can get through a full day of cricket unscathed and hopefully pain free.

It takes a lot more rehab and a lot more time than other parts of my body … it’s (managing) time on feet, lots of gym work, strengthening up different areas of my body and making sure I don’t have those little niggles that set me back a couple of weeks each time.”

Maxwell's discussions with the Australian selectors have reassured him that they are open to unconventional selections for the two Tests in Sri Lanka next February.

Despite not playing a Test since the 2017 tour of Bangladesh and only featuring in two first-class matches since 2019, Maxwell believes his experience in Sri Lankan conditions could be valuable.

“They’ve been pretty open to selecting outside the box for players who do well in those conditions, and knowing what it’s like in Sri Lanka, I don’t think Shield form is going to be a huge factor in how someone is going to go over there,” Maxwell said.