Bushrangers give Big Show furore wide berth, labelling it a “national-level matter”

POLL: CRICKET Victoria didn’t want to comment on yesterday’s latest controversy surrounding Glenn Maxwell.

CRICKET Victoria didn’t want to comment on yesterday’s latest controversy surrounding Glenn Maxwell.

He’s a member of Australia’s squad for the one-day series against New Zealand starting tomorrow and it’s a “national-level matter”, the Bushrangers told the Herald Sun.

Chief executive Tony Dodemaide and coach Andrew McDonald weren’t available to tell Victoria’s cricket public the painful truth about the need for Maxwell to focus on the team and try to put some big scores on the board.

In any case, maybe he won’t be Victoria’s problem for much longer.

Maxwell was not selected for the first round of the Sheffield Shield season in October after applying for a clearance to join NSW.

Victoria’s Glenn Maxwell finds himself on the sideline after being named 12th man for the Sheffield Shield match between Victoria and Tasmania at the MCG in October. Picture: Getty Images

The public was told, via Cricket Australia’s high-performance boss Pat Howard, that the Bushrangers felt Maxwell hadn’t dominated the one-day cup like a player of his talent should have done. Thus, he was given a rest because of “team balance”.

And when he came back in to the side, after Test selector Mark Waugh said he was clearly in Victoria’s best XI, he made 81, 10, three, six and 29.

It’s not enough, as national coach and selector Darren Lehmann pointed out yesterday, to put him back in the frame for Test selection.

Maxwell’s selection in Australia’s one-day squad has ruled him out of Victoria’s Shield game against Tasmania in Hobart starting on Monday, which means his chances to impress selectors ahead of the Test tour of India in February are likely to be in white-ball games only.

Outspoken Australian cricket all-rounder Glenn Maxwell at a press conference in Sydney on Thursday. Picture: AFP

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Lehmann described the situation created by Maxwell, who has criticised his state captain and one-day international teammate Matthew Wade for batting him too low for Victoria, as “difficult”.

“We’ll work through it behind the scenes,” Lehmann said yesterday.

Maxwell has often spoken of his desire to be more than just a batsman and second spinner in Test matches in Asia. He wants to play a home Test as a top-six batter.

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Elite fieldsman Glenn Maxwell during Australian ODI training at the SCG this week.

His only three Test appearances have been away from home on spinning pitches against India and Pakistan (in the United Arab Emirates).

Runs are the only currency for him.

Right now his chances of touring India in February appear slim and his outburst has not been universally welcomed by state teammates.

For a player with such obvious talent, another summer may be passing by too quickly. There will be more chances, but not necessarily with the Bushrangers.