Glenn Maxwell has been named to make his red-ball return in Cricket Australia's Second XI four-day competition after being named in Victoria's 12-man squad to play Queensland at the Junction Oval starting on Monday.
Maxwell was named for his first four-day match in over 12 months as he begins a build towards potentially going on Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka early next year.
It is unlikely Maxwell will play in Victoria's next Sheffield Shield match which starts on October 20, just three days after the completion of the Second XI game. Some of Australia's Test players including Steven Smith, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc are set for that match while Scott Boland is likely to make his Shield return in that game as well.
The rules in CA's Second XI competition allow for 12 players to play in the game, with 11 batting and 11 bowling, meaning rest and rotation is possible for players within the four days. Maxwell's workloads are carefully monitored given the horrific leg injury he suffered two years ago. He turns 36 on the first day of the match and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years.
Victoria coach Chris Rogers was very happy to have Maxwell playing with some of Victoria's young Second XI players while being unsure when he will have him available for Shield cricket.
"This is an opportunity for us," Rogers said. "We've got a lot of young players who are playing, and anytime you get to throw in someone with that experience and talk about batting and fielding and strategy, that's great for us as well."
Maxwell looks set to play the one-day domestic fixture against New South Wales on October 25, which could feature Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, but he is unlikely to be available for the third or fourth Shield rounds for Victoria which overlap with Australia's ODI and T20I series against Pakistan.
He would be available for Victoria's fifth and sixth Shield games before the BBL begins and appears set to play at least one of those. Victoria play Queensland on November 24 at the Gabba in a pink-ball game under lights before hosting Queensland at the MCG on December 6.
Australia's selectors could also give him a run in a two-day pink-ball Prime Minister's XI game against India in Canberra starting on November 30.
Maxwell is a serious contender for Australia's Test tour of Sri Lanka given his Test experience in the subcontinent. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and nearly played the first Test in Galle, with his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder seen as an asset in spinning conditions, especially if the Tests are set to be low-scoring and fast moving.
All of his seven Test matches have been played on the subcontinent with his last coming in Bangladesh in 2017. The selectors have indicted previously that Shield cricket has no relevance to Test cricket in Sri Lanka given the conditions and style of cricket is vastly different but it is understood both Maxwell and Australia's selectors are keen for him to play some red-ball cricket from a physical conditioning standpoint.
Victoria have also named state captain Will Sutherland to play in the Second XI game after he was left out of the first Shield round as he continues to build his bowling following a serious back injury. He will bowl under restrictions.
"He's tracking well," Rogers said. "This game was probably a bit too far where he was to bowl back-to-back days, and multiple spells. "But he's ready to go for the Second XI and hopefully that'll set him up well for the Shield game against New South Wales."
Rogers was unsure whether spin-bowling allrounder Matthew Short would be available for the next Shield game against New South Wales as he recovers from a minor adductor strain he suffered in the final ODI of Australia's white-ball tour of the UK last month.
Victorian Second XI squad: Will Sutherland (capt), Austin Anlezark, Liam Blackford, Dylan Brasher, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Jai Lemire, Reilley Mark, Glenn Maxwell, Jon Merlo, David Moody, Doug Warren