World Cup 2023: Baz would have picked Glenn Maxwell in Test team – Ian Smith

Renowned commentator Ian Smith reckons Brendon McCullum would have picked Glenn Maxwell in the Test team. Maxwell has received limited opportunities for Australia in the red-ball version as he has played only seven Test matches.

Maxwell has scored 339 runs in the Test format at an average of 26.08. However, Maxwell is well known to turn the match on its head with his blistering batting and he showed that on Tuesday against Afghanistan when he thwarted 201 runs off just 128 balls with the help of 21 fours and 10 sixes. Many cricket boffins have tipped Maxwell’s knock as the best ever in ODIs.

“Baz would have picked him, I know that. I know Brendon McCullum, I haven’t heard anything come from him but I’m sure he’ll have a quote or two about that innings because he would have sat there bewildered,” Smith said on Sen’s Sportsday.

Smith reckons Australia has always got a lot of batting depth in the lower middle order in the multi-day format and thus Maxwell has received limited chances.

“I think there’s a couple of things to consider here,” Smith stated. “One is that Australia have got the depth in Test cricket that most countries are very envious of. Glenn Maxwell would have played a lot of Tests for New Zealand, Glenn Maxwell would have played a lot of Tests for a lot of other countries.

“In the area he bats in red-ball cricket, that middle order spot, Australia have been traditionally very, very strong and they have got great depth in that area.”

Smith wants to see Maxwell play some blistering knocks like the one he did at Wankhede in the Test format.

“I’d love to see that kind of Glenn Maxwell play some Test innings like that every now and then. But it’s just not a done thing, is it? Maybe in 10 years’ time, Test cricket will evolve into that (suiting that style of player). Glenn Maxwell will sadly be probably not around to be playing it,” he added.

Smith compared Glenn Maxwell’s Test career graph with Martin Guptill, who has a tremendous white-ball record but ordinary Test credentials.

“Why hasn’t he made it? I can say that with a lot of players. I throw Martin Guptill into that conversation. He scored a magnificent 237 not out in a World Cup game. He faced the first ball and the last ball of the innings and never looked like getting out. It was an unbelievably good innings. But the guy can’t buy a run in Test matches,” Smith said.