The worst part of Glenn Maxwell’s ODI omission was the man selectors chose to replace him, writes Russell Gould

STEVE Smith’s epic slapdown for dumped one-day batsman Glenn Maxwell was just another kick in the pants for the ultra-talented Victorian. But it wasn’t the worst part of the selection shocker.

Glenn Maxwell was left out of Australia’s ODI squad. Picture: Getty Images

STEVE Smith’s epic slapdown for dumped one-day batsman Glenn Maxwell was just another kick in the pants for the ultra-talented Victorian.

Coming after he was also left out of the Ashes Test squad despite a maiden century wearing a baggy green in India, without a single word or thanks either, it capped an ugly month or so for him from a national perspective.

But worse for the maturing Maxwell, who has said and done all the right things, including scoring a Sheffield Shield double-century since he was axed, was the man selectors chose to replace him.

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Chris Lynn is a walking six-machine, and without doubt has the capacity to tear the touring English one-day attack to shreds when the series begins at the MCG in 10 days time.

But Lynn is also only three Big Bash games back from a significant shoulder injury, and even according to Brisbane Heat coach Daniel Vettori has to be hidden in the field because he’s not fit enough to run and throw.

Glenn Maxwell was in the runs for Victoria. Picture: AAP Images

“His shoulder is hanging on and his hamstring has been a bit of a problem as well. We’re just trying to protect him in the field,” Vettori said on Tuesday night.

That was just 12 hours before the national selection panel opted to include Lynn in a 14-man ODI squad which posed a few questions

One, about the omission of Maxwell, was answered unequivocally by Smith, the captain who also fined the enigmatic all-rounder last summer for comments he made about Matthew Wade, who has since been banished from the Test and one-day team himself.

At the time Smith said Maxwell’s comments, about batting below Wade for Victoria, were “disrespectful”. The national skipper didn’t hold back on Wednesday either when addressing why Maxwell wouldn’t be a part of the one-day set-up this summer.

“Just looking at the way he trains, I think he could train a little bit smarter,” Smith said.

“We’ve all seen the way he can come out and play and do all his funky stuff and be pretty cool with that, but when he puts his head down he’s actually a really good batsman, as we’ve seen in Shield cricket — he’s got some big runs there.

“If he keeps his head switched on and trains really well and focuses on basic things probably more than the expansive things then I think that will help him have his consistency.”

Glenn Maxwell celebrates an ODI half century Picture: Wayne Ludbey

Maxwell’s one-day numbers in recent times haven’t been great — only one score above 20 in his past seven innings and only two fifties in his past 18 — and were enough for selectors to overlook him.

But the savaging from Smith about Maxwell’s penchant for “funky stuff” and the selection of an underdone Chris Lynn suggests it’s not all about the runs anyway.

Maybe the selectors aren’t after too many runs. They only picked four frontline batsmen in the entire squad. Travis Head and Marcus Stoinis are all-rounders, because they bowl a lot, so there are three in the group, with Mitch Marsh. Plus six bowlers.

It’s a top heavy outfit which could lean a fair bit on Smith and Dave Warner to get runs, and hope the sluggers from number five down aren’t hit and miss.

Selection chairman Trevor Hohns said he wanted to get in place a squad which could “form the basis of the line-up” for the World Cup campaign in 2019, and that there was still room for Maxwell to get back.

“Glenn is still absolutely in our thoughts,” Hohns said.

But maybe not, going by Smith’s comments, in the way Maxwell would like.