While Glenn Maxwell’s wedding in front of 350 of his closest friends and a heightened security detail will take precedence over the upcoming Pakistan tour, the enigmatic all-rounder hopes a Test return could still be on the cards this year.
Details of Maxwell’s upcoming nuptials to Vini Raman, who is of Indian descent, leaked online when the invitation to the traditional Hindu ceremony which will involve three separate events over the course of a week surfaced.
A former Indian Premier League team-mate has alerted Maxwell that the invitation to the Melbourne event, printed in Tamil, is being shared online.
“It wasn’t ideal,” Maxwell, who scored 39 from 26 in Australia’s third T20I victory against Sri Lanka, told cricket.com.au. “We need to get some extra security for the wedding now.
“It was supposed to be a private event and unfortunately the parents in India got a little excited and decided to show some friends.
“The next minute it’s in pretty much every newspaper out there and I’m being tweeted by just about everyone.
“So it was a shock. It’s been a busy two days.”
Maxwell had originally scheduled the dates for the ‘small Hindu wedding’ hosting around 350 guests so as not to overlap with the Pakistani tour which will see Australia travel overseas to play Test cricket for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
But the dates for the three-test series have changed, meaning Maxwell, understandably prioritizing his upcoming nuptials which have already been postponed due to the pandemic, has made himself unavailable for the historic campaign.
The 33-year-old hasn’t shot the Baggy Green in over four years and would probably have been a long shot around anyway.
But his skills against spin bowling and his solid record on the subcontinent – he scored a century on the 2017 India Test Tour – could have worked in his favour.
He hopes that will be the case when the coaches choose their squad for the Sri Lanka test tour, which is due to take place in June this year, as well as the upcoming Australian series in India.
“I would love to be available for the Sri Lanka Test matches this year,” Maxwell said.
“There are still other options and other series that I could potentially raise my hand for.
“It just has to be the right time, in the right place and hopefully I can sneak into the squad and add some Tests and add some Test selections. That would be good.”
Instead of going to Pakistan, Maxwell expects to wear navy blue for Victoria in the Marsh One-Day Cup at the end of the Dettol T20I series, but does not expect to be available for Sheffield Shield matches this season.
There are three ODIs and just one T20I to play at the end of the Pakistan tour, with selectors yet to choose a team for those games, before Maxwell joins his Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore in April.
Dettol T20 Series vs. Sri Lanka 2022
Australia team: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head*, Moises Henriques, Josh Inglis, Ben McDermott, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa * unavailable for the first three games
Sri Lankan team: Dasun Shanaka (c), Charith Asalanka, Avishka Fernando, Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Janith Liyanage, Kamil Mishara, Ramesh Mendis, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Thushara, Dushmantha Chameera, Binura Fernando , Maheesh Theekshana, Jeffrey Vandersay, Praveen Jayawickrama, Shiran Fernando
Game 1: Australia won by 20 runs (DLS)
Game 2: Australia won in a Super Over
Game 3: Australia won by six wickets
February 18: Fourth T20, MCG, 7:10 p.m. AEDT
February 20: Fifth T20, MCG, 5:10 p.m. AEDT
All matches shown exclusively on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports. Radio coverage by ABC Grandstand, Triple M and SEN
