Former Test star David Warner issues stunning take-down of Sri Lanka tour hopeful Glenn Maxwell

Australian Test great David Warner has issued a stunning take-down of former teammate Glenn Maxwell over his push for a Test re-call – despite an unwillingness to play red-ball cricket.

David Warner says Glenn Maxwell does not deserve to be picked for the Test tour of Sri Lanka because he hasn’t played enough first-class cricket.

Maxwell and fellow white-ball specialist Adam Zampa are both pressing for call-ups for the two-Test series starting late in January despite barely playing any red-ball cricket in recent years.

In a divisive move, leg-spinner Zampa was picked to play a Sheffield Shield match for NSW late last month, with Cricket NSW director and Shield selector Stuart Clark claiming Cricket Australia mandated that Zampa be selected, a suggestion CA’s head of national team performance Ben Oliver has denied.

All-rounder Maxwell had been in the frame to play a Shield match for Victoria in recent weeks, and was also in contention for the Prime Minister’s XI game against the touring Indians in Canberra, but the plans were kiboshed after he injured his hamstring playing in a Twenty20 international against Pakistan.

Glenn Maxwell is in the frame for a Test call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka. Picture: Getty

It means the 36-year-old will not have another chance to play a first-class game before the squad is picked.

His sole red-ball match this year came playing for Victoria’s second XI in October, making 14 and 10 and taking 1-46 across a drawn clash with Queensland’s second XI.

Warner, a three-time World Cup-winning teammate of Maxwell and now a commentator with Fox Cricket, said bluntly that the Victorian did not deserve to be picked as he seeks to end a more than seven-year absence from Test cricket.

“If you’re not being picked for your Shield team, then why do you deserve it? You’ve got to actually want it, to want to play four-day cricket,” Warner told this masthead.

“Unless he’s putting his hand up, he’s playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket. He in my (opinion), doesn’t deserve that opportunity.”

Glenn Maxwell (L) and David Warner celebrate Australia’s triumph at the 2023 World Cup in India. Picture: Getty

Maxwell said in October that he had wanted to play Shield cricket this season but that a second XI hitout had been more appropriate given he was testing his ability to get through a four-day match, a rarity since breaking his leg two years ago.

“I probably couldn’t have done that sort of testing in a Shield game,” Maxwell said.

I think that would have been a bit naive to think I could go in with that sort of expectation to a Shield game. I think there’s a bit more of expected of you. And I think the fact I was able to get what I needed out of that game gives me a lot of confidence I suppose, heading towards summer.

“And if there’s an opportunity to play some Shield cricket, post the one-day series (and) T20s, I’d certainly jump all over it.”

Adam Zampa made a rare appearance for NSW earlier this summer. Picture: Getty

Warner was more sympathetic towards Zampa, acknowledging that playing as a specialist spinner in Shield cricket was not easy but suggesting that allowing someone to only play Shield cricket in those circumstances set a dangerous precedent.

“My only take on that is, if Zamps wants to play Test cricket, then you should make yourself available all the time, right? But in saying that, there is a series coming up, it is in the subcontinent,” Warner said.

“I just don’t think you can keep putting your hand up to say, ‘I want to play just that.’ You know, it’s like me saying I just want to play in Australia, like you’ve gotta be seen to be wanting to do the work grind it out and do that.”

Adam Zampa (R) celebrates with teammate David Warner (L) at this year’s T20 World Cup. Picture: Getty

But Warner said the situation appeared complicated.

“On the flip side is his body probably wouldn’t allow him to do that as well. So now that’s the other thing. So Zamps has made a conscious effort of not playing long form, just purely because of that,” Warner said.

“And on the other side of it, what you have to understand is the fact that there’s not a lot of opportunities to actually bowl spin in Australia.

“The games don’t go into that sort of fourth day a lot, and they don’t bowl in the first innings, right? So there’s no purchase. The batters go after you. So if you go into the subcontinent, you’re going to get spin from day one.

“It’s hard to sort of go, ‘hey, mate, come and play a Shield game. Well, you’re not bowling the first innings, but you’re going to maybe bowl six or seven overs in the fourth or you might have to bowl 30 in the first and there’s no purchase.’

“So it is hard in that perspective as well. So you’ve got to take that into account.”

Originally published as Former Test star David Warner issues stunning take-down of Sri Lanka tour hopeful Glenn Maxwell