Glenn Maxwell hopeful of 'playing some part in the India series'; undergoes surgery to reduce recovery time

Glenn Maxwell aims to return from wrist surgery to play in the latter part of Australia's upcoming T20I series against India, after having his cast removed on Wednesday. Maxwell, who fractured his right wrist during net practice before the New Zealand series when hit by Mitchell Owen's powerful shot, underwent surgery last week to potentially reduce recovery time to four weeks.

Maxwell was not included in Australia's squad for the first two T20Is scheduled for October 29 and 31 in Canberra and Melbourne. However, he hopes to participate in the final three matches set for November 2 in Hobart, November 6 on the Gold Coast, and November 8 in Brisbane.




"I think having the surgery last week sort of gives me a little bit more hope of playing some part in that India series, if I can get myself right," Maxwell said. "The only reason I had the surgery was the options they gave me were miss that series completely and no surgery, or have surgery and it gives me a slim chance to hopefully play a part. And if not, I'll be ready earlier for the BBL, and I think it leaves me in good stead to get the rest of my body right."

The Australian all-rounder has begun basic mobility work after having his cast replaced with a moulded plastic splint. He met with a hand therapist who prescribed fundamental movement exercises to strengthen his wrist.

"I only met with a hand therapist yesterday," Maxwell said. "He only gave me some really basic movements, things that look really boring, but I suppose they're going to strengthen the wrist."

The injury adds to Maxwell's unusual history, which includes a broken leg from a birthday party incident and a concussion from falling off a golf cart. The recent wrist injury has prompted him to reconsider his approach to bowling in nets against power hitters.

"I try to avoid bowling to those guys," Maxwell said. "Guys like Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Mitch Owen and Cam Green, long levers, strong, it just comes back too quick. It's not fun, But I should know better. I should know better to bowl into the hip and I'll be doing that I think come BBL time."

Maxwell's last T20I appearance showcased his form when he scored an unbeaten 62 off 36 balls against South Africa in August. He also demonstrated his batting prowess in September, scoring 107 off 82 balls for Victoria against Queensland in a domestic One-Day Cup match.

When questioned about his long-term career plans, including potential participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Maxwell maintained a short-term focus. "I'm literally thinking about round one of the BBL at the moment," Maxwell said. "Let's just get there first. If I'm still enjoying my cricket by then... I'm not setting dates or anything."

Maxwell expressed enthusiasm about R Ashwin joining the BBL, stating: "That's really exciting. It's great for the competition. I think anytime you can get world-class superstars who have got the career that he has as a part of the BBL is a massive bonus for us. He's been extremely successful. He's got a hell of a lot of wisdom in the game. I think he's going to give back a lot to the players in the BBL. I don't think it's just the Sydney Thunder, I think the guys that are playing against him will probably ask him a lot of questions, and he's certainly going to bring in a lot of fans as well."
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