Maxwell makes surprising admission over selectors’ controversial tour call as Stars roll Renegades

Glenn Maxwell admits he would have made the same call as the Australian selectors as he reflected on their decision that’s likely ended his Test career.

Maxwell and Mitch Marsh were among the high-profile absentees from the 16-player squad for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, with uncapped 21-year-old Cooper Connolly picked ahead of the senior allrounders.

Maxwell, who last played first-class cricket 18 months ago, had been eager to add to his seven Test appearances.

But the 36-year-old holds no grudges over selectors looking to the future, with Australia’s spot in the World Test Championship final already secure.

“It’s just selection,” Maxwell said.

“There’s always going to be people wanting to be there and I made no secret that I desperately wanted to be on that tour, but I can completely understand their reasoning.

“The fact that they’re already in the World Test Championship final, they’ve got a couple of Tests in Sri Lanka and there’s going to be some sub-continent tours over the next few years, so they get to look a few new guys in those conditions.

“What an experience for those guys to go over there – Cooper Connolly on his first Test tour – I certainly would’ve made the same decision as they have.”

Maxwell has not played Test cricket since 2017 and appears unlikely to regain his spot in the national side in the longest form of the game.

Glenn Maxwell. (Photo by Josh Chadwick – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

But he was in no mood to make a big call on his Test future after the Melbourne Stars’ BBL derby win over the Renegades.

The result kept the Stars’ finals hopes alive with one regular-season match left to play, against the Hobart Hurricanes on Sunday.

“I’m not making any future plans right now,” Maxwell said.

“I’m looking forward to a week off and Sunday.”

Maxwell produced another blistering innings to power the Stars to a crucial 42-run Melbourne Derby win over the Renegades that keeps their slim BBL finals hopes alive.

He lifted his side off the canvas with a masterful display of power hitting, belting a game-high 90 from 52 balls at Marvel Stadium on Sunday night.

The veteran allrounder scored all 81 runs in a vital eighth-wicket partnership with tailender Usama Mir, who made a five-ball duck, and steered the Stars to 165 after they had slumped to 7-75 when sent in to bat.

Novak Djokovic was among the fans who witnessed the opening stages of Maxwell’s entertaining knock, relaxing in the corporate seats ahead of his Australian Open tilt.

But the tennis superstar made an early exit and missed most of the fireworks as Maxwell plundered 10 sixes and four fours to turn the match in the Stars’ favour.

Maxwell protected the tail superbly throughout his innings but felt it was far from a perfect performance with the bat.

“I was probably hitting every second or third ball, and with the way the wicket was playing I was just trying to put them under enough pressure where I was getting an over-pitched delivery or one a little bit wider where I could sort of throw my hands or get some sort of leverage on,” Maxwell said.

“It still felt like I played and missed a little bit and missed the middle of the bat, and had a few mistimed shanks into the leg side.

“But knowing how simple my game plan was – to stay on strike for as long as I could – I could just wait for one that I could actually hit in the middle and hopefully connect.

“It forced my hand a bit when we were seven down and I didn’t want to expose the tail.”

Mark Steketee (5-17) and Joel Paris (3-13) inflicted most of the damage with the ball as the Stars bowled out the Renegades for 123 in their chase.

Renegades captain Will Sutherland conceded Maxwell was “clearly the difference” between the sides. 

“Batters found it pretty hard to bat all night and no-one could really get going, except for him,” Sutherland said. 

“Sometimes you’ve got to give credit to someone like him. He batted incredibly well and he’s super hard to bowl to.”

The result was the Stars’ fourth straight win, improving their record to 4-5 and keeping them in the hunt for a top-four berth with one match left to play.

The Renegades (3-5) also remain an outside chance of sneaking in despite a fourth loss from their last five matches.

Tim Seifert (26 off 26) was the only batter to pass 20 for a Renegades side that managed just three sixes in 19.5 overs.

One of those was struck by Jake Fraser-McGurk (19 off 17), whose lean run with the bat continued when he was caught off Steketee.