Glenn Maxwell confident lingering shoulder injury won’t deny him Test recall
GLENN Maxwell remains confident of earning selection for Australia’s upcoming Test series against Pakistan but the all-rounder must first prove his damaged body is ready for red-ball cricket.
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GLENN Maxwell has revealed the full extent of a shoulder injury suffered in England is having some lingering effects but won’t hinder his pursuit of a place in the Test team.
Dynamic fielding has been a hallmark of Maxwell’s career and the all-rounder conceded he was lucky not to hurt himself before given he has “literally thrown myself around”.
Maxwell slammed his right shoulder in to the fence trying to stop a low six at Trent Bridge, as England racked up a world record score of 481 in June.
He missed the final two games of the series and recovered to play six T20s in the next two weeks but said he had to find a way to throw “comfortably”.
Maxwell completed most activities during the Victorian team’s three day experience at HMAS Cerberus, where they were put through things reserved for naval recruits.
But with the upcoming Test series against Pakistan in October at the front of his mind, Maxwell is taking the time to look after his body and make sure he’s ready should selectors call his name.
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“I’ve been doing a fair bit of work on that (shoulder) behind closed doors. It’s been good to have some time when I don’t have to bowl, throw and dive on it and give it the rest it needed,” Maxwell said on Wednesday after completing the mud run at the naval base.
“I have been pretty ruthless on my shoulder my whole career, I have taken no real care of my body and in the field I have literally thrown myself around and I have been pretty lucky to avoid injury.
“I was lucky I didn’t have to have surgery … it’s about making sure it’s right to go when it’s required which is hopefully in six week’s time. “
Maxwell wasn’t required to go to India with Australia A this month. The Test squad to face Pakistan will be picked after the series finishes, and with batting spots available Maxwell is hopeful his name gets called.
He also believes his great mate Aaron Finch is playing the sort of cricket that can’t be ignored as momentum builds for the national T20 skipper to get a Test call-up.
Finch is averaging 96 for Surrey in the English T20 competition, with two 100s, coming off a world record 172 against Zimbabwe in a T20 and another century during the one-day series against England.
“The innings he has been playing lately just shows the clearness of mind he has at the moment. He is so clear in the way he moves at the crease, and it pretty awesome to watch,” Maxwell said.
“If he keeps batting like that, it doesn’t matter what format. If someone is batting like that, it’s scary for any bowler to come up against.”
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Originally published as Glenn Maxwell confident lingering shoulder injury won’t deny him Test recall
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