By Daniel Cherny
Having been denied a taste of competitive cricket since his controversial comments about Victorian captain Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell will at last get a chance to play on Saturday.
Rather than for Australia, Victoria or the Melbourne Stars, Maxwell, 28, has been made available to play for his club side Fitzroy Doncaster in the first day of their two-day match against Kingston Hawthorn at Parkdale's Walter Galt Reserve – Cricket Australia has confirmed.
Back in town: Glenn Maxwell.Credit: Getty Images
The all-rounder was fined an undisclosed amount by Australian team leadership after bemoaning Wade's placement above him in Victoria's Sheffield Shield batting order. Maxwell was subsequently overlooked for Australia's XI for all three of the Chappell-Hadlee trophy ODIs against New Zealand – including Friday's dead rubber at the MCG.
However Maxwell had remained with the Australian squad, denying him the chance to play for the Bushrangers in their Shield clash with Tasmania this week. The match was Maxwell's last chance to play for Victoria before the Shield season goes into recess for the Big Bash League – where Maxwell will play for the Stars.
Saturday's match will be Maxwell's third appearance for the Lions this season – the first of which came after he was left out of Victoria's Shield opener, having unsuccessfully sought a move to NSW in the off-season.
Maxwell's name has been floated as a possible inclusion for the Test tour of India beginning in February, however his chances to prove his worth for the series will likely be limited mainly to BBL appearances, and possibly ODIs in Australia's upcoming series against Pakistan in January.