Glenn Maxwell is a vital cog in Australia’s white-ball set up but he must “hold up his end of the bargain” after his “less than ideal” incident in Adelaide, said head coach Andrew McDonald. Last week Maxwell was hospitalised in Adelaide after he got too drunk after attending a concert by ‘Six and Out’, the band featuring former Australian pacer Brett Lee and passed out. He wasn’t kept in the hospital for long and was discharged soon after and is now back in training.
“I’ve spoken to Glenn, had a good chat with him yesterday around the incident. Him looking after himself needs to be a consideration moving forward,” McDonald was quoted as saying to Sydney Evening News.
“We’ve given him the opportunity to rest and rehab in that period of time and I suppose the lessons for him around that would be to take up his end of the bargain in that space and take care of himself.” Maxwell was rested for next month’s three-match ODI series against the West Indies at home and he took the opportunity to attend a golf event in Adelaide before the incident took place.
“We want to see Glenn Maxwell playing cricket for the next three to four years for Australia. Can he get to the next World Cup in 2027 in South Africa? Who knows. But, he’s a key player in our white-ball formats,” McDonald said.
“When he is out there we’re a far better team, and on the back of that horrific injury that he did have, there’s going to be some management things that are put in place around him.
“But, we want Glenn Maxwell playing for Australia for as long as he can. We’re going to have to do our end, and Glenn is no doubt going to have to hold up his end of the bargain.” This is not the first time that Maxwell has been in trouble. In 2022 after the T20 World Cup, Maxwell had fractured his leg badly while partying at a friend’s house.
This kept Maxwell out of the Australian team for months. He had also hurt his head and got bruises after falling from the back of a golf cart in a freak accident last November.
“All the information he’s given, he’s had a few drinks, and clearly the night has ended the way that it did, and that’s less than ideal from his perspective and our perspective. It’s an honest mistake,” said McDonald.
“He needs to obviously have a look at what he’s doing at his end and is that the right thing to be doing at that time? Thankfully, there’s no harm out of it. He’s well now.” Maxwell is yet to play limited-overs cricket for Australia following his side’s return from India last November.
Having finished as the third-highest run-scorer for the Australians in the ODI World Cup in India, which they won for the record-extending sixth time, Maxwell participated in a three-match T20I series in India, followed by the Big Bash League.
He finished as the second-highest run-scorer for the Stars and is expected to continue his formidable form during the West Indies T20Is from February 9.
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