Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has returned to red-ball cricket for the first time in 12 months after he was named in Victoria’s 12-member squad in their Second XI four-day competition against Queensland, which is scheduled to be played from October 14 (Monday) onwards.

Maxwell returns to red-ball cricket with one eye on the Sri Lanka Tests, scheduled to be played in January 2025. Maxwell is unlikely to play for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield game, starting October 20, just three days after the completion of the Second XI game. Regular Test members like Steven Smith, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland are scheduled to feature in that match.

Victoria coach Chris Rogers is glad Maxwell is playing in the Second XI.  “This is an opportunity for us,” Rogers said. 

“We’ve got a lot of young players who are playing, and anytime you get to throw in someone with that experience and talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that’s great for us as well.”

Maxwell is expected to be available for Victoria’s fifth and sixth Shield games. Before that, he is scheduled to feature against New South Wales in a one-day domestic fixture on October 25, which could also feature Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins.

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