Langer attacks 'careless whispers' about Maxwell
Justin Langer has labelled as "careless whispers" suggestions that Glenn Maxwell was instructed not to play county cricket last year because he would be picked for an Australia A tour ahead of a Test series in the United Arab Emirates.
A day after national selector Trevor Hohns said he was unaware of any such directive to Maxwell, Langer hosed down speculation at a press conference two days out from Saturday’s one-dayer at the SCG against India.
Maxwell has previously revealed he knocked back offers to play in England last winter so that he would be selected for an Australia A tour of India. It was a tour viewed as an audition of sorts for last October’s Test series against Pakistan in the UAE.
Maxwell was then not picked on the ‘A’ tour and while accepting that decision, later said he felt “a little bit” misled by not being selected in the Test squad after giving up potential county opportunities.
"I had a few offers to play county cricket in England and they were initially knocked back with an opportunity to go and play in India in the A series,” Maxwell said in September last year.
"To get told not to play in the A series and have a rest, and I was understanding of that and their reasoning behind that ... I was hoping that was a positive note to go to Dubai. But obviously that wasn't the case."
On Thursday Langer was pressed on whether Maxwell had received such a directive. Langer was appointed Australian coach in May last year.
“Are you certain that's what happened? Are you certain that's what happened?” Langer asked on two occasions.
Pressed again if he had any knowledge of it happening, Langer said he had “zero knowledge” of what he believed were “careless whispers” before offering an apology after getting riled up.
“Sorry for getting grumpy,” he said. “I don't like getting grumpy but there’s so many stories that go around about so much stuff. We can talk about it after but the truth is a beautiful thing.”
Langer said Maxwell, who was not picked in Australia’s 13-man squad for two Tests against Sri Lanka in Brisbane and Canberra, knew exactly where he stood and that there was no issue with his personality.
“Glenn is crystal clear from me and the selectors what he needs to do to get back in the Test team,” Langer said. “He's shown he is brilliant around the group in white-ball cricket. There's been some reports about personality. It is literally false. It's not true. All the conjecture about it … that's all part of the noise."