Glenn Maxwell to Play Sheffield Shield Matches for Victoria Before Sri Lanka Tour

Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell will be playing a few Sheffield Shield matches for Victoria in the early part of the summer. This is part of his preparation to rejoin Australia’s Test team for the Sri Lanka tour in January and February next year.

According to Victoria captain Will Sutherland, Maxwell, who is currently in England with Australia’s ODI team, has not played a Sheffield Shield match since February 2023. He has only played two first-class matches in the last five years due to his commitments to white-ball cricket and a leg injury.

The Sheffield Shield season will begin on October 8, with Victoria hosting Tasmania at the Junction Oval in Melbourne. The second round starts on October 20, where Victoria will play against New South Wales at the MCG. Australia’s home ODI and T20I series against Pakistan will overlap with the third and fourth Shield rounds from November 4-18. Australia A will also play two first-class games against India A in November.

Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka Test series in 2022 and has played all his Test matches on the subcontinent, with his last Test being in Bangladesh in 2017. Victoria is eager to have Maxwell play red-ball cricket to help him get back into rhythm, as he has played very little in recent years.

“I think he’ll be available for a couple and I believe he’s keen to play as well,” Sutherland said. “Obviously, things can change with him playing at the moment, but to have a player like Glenn potentially come into our side is a bit of a luxury, so hopefully that can work out nicely,” he added.

Maxwell’s last first-class game was for Warwickshire in the county championship last year, where he scored 81 off 67 deliveries and bowled 24 overs across two innings.