Allan Border backs Glenn Maxwell for Australia Test spot

Former Australian cricket team skipper Allan Border has stated that he feels all-rounder Glenn Maxwell deserves a chance in the Test squad of the Baggy Greens, especially now that the senior side is not in the best of shape.

Despite thrashing arch-rivals England 4-0 in the five-match Ashes series earlier this year, the Australians surrendered 3-1 in front of South Africa away from home in their last Test series with the ball-tampering scandal taking a hit on the team’s morale. Australia led the four-match series 1-0 before losing the next three Tests.

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were handed bans for their involvement in the ball-tampering incident during the series.

“It’s a compelling argument to have him somewhere in your Test side. Fingers crossed he starts the season with a bang and throws his name into the ring,” Border told SEN radio. “I definitely think the selectors have eyes on him for sure because of what he brings to the table: great in the field, dynamic batting and the off-spin bowling.”

Although Maxwell has 81 one-day internationals and another 43 T20Is under his belt, he’s featured in just seven Tests so far despite debuting for the national side back in 2012. He’s yet to feature in a Test playing XI in Australia with all of his seven appearances in the sub-continent. Last year, he even brought up his maiden Test hundred in Ranchi but failed to impress in his two Tests in Bangladesh.

Border, however, was of the opinion that the 29-year-old still has it in him to go the distance in the longest format of the game and as a proven cricketer of the limited-over game, Maxwell should get a nod. “He has got talent to burn,” Border said. “We’ve seen glimpses of it in the Test match arena. We see it in the short format of the game, but he can easily play Test cricket. He is just getting his head around playing within certain limitations which is hard for ‘Maxy’ because he has a shot for every ball. It’s just getting your head around what’s required to be successful at Test cricket.”

Maxwell has had a fantastic domestic season last year where he notched up 707 runs for Victoria at an average of 50.50 and a strike rate of 70.34. He had three centuries and a half-century to his name, including a cracking 278 against New South Wales.