Glenn Maxwell has brushed aside his latest injury scare playing for Victoria and announced he will be ready to return to international cricket next month.
The dynamic all-rounder said he felt “refreshed” after a three-month lay-off following the freak leg fracture he suffered at a friend’s birthday party in November.
The 34-year-old was named in a 16-man squad to take on India in three one-day games immediately following the Test series, and said his recovery was headed in the right direction despite an awkward blow to his wrist during Victoria’s Sheffield Shield game.
“Initially, I just thought, ‘you’ve got to be kidding me, surely not’,” Maxwell said when asked how he had reacted to the blow while fielding at first slip on Tuesday.
“As I was getting driven to the hospital a lot of pretty average thoughts were going through my mind, but thankfully I think it just pinched a bit of a nerve in my arm.
“I had tingles in a couple of my fingers and I was a little bit worried about it, but thankfully I had no damage and I was able to carry on.”
Although it was unplanned, Maxwell said he thought his lengthy absence from the game could extend “the back end” of his career.
“It’s been a pretty hectic schedule … after the World Cup last year I was pretty cooked, and it’s never nice to have a break of this magnitude but it was also not the worst timing to have a bit of time away from the game,” he said.
“It was a nice little refresher – hopefully this will extend a little bit of time at the back end of my career and I can play some pretty good cricket for the rest of my career.”
Maxwell said he was bowling again and could have been used on day three of Victoria’s Shield match if required.
The Australian selectors opted for known quantities in the ODI squad, overlooking in-form duo Daniel Hughes and Matt Short despite a flood of hundreds for the pair in all formats.
Maxwell said it was a matter of time before his Victorian teammate Short was given a chance in a national side.
“We know the talent that Matt Short’s got … he’s got three great attributes with his fielding, bowling and with the bat, so I’m sure one day we’ll see him in Aussie colours,” he said.
Mitch Marsh will return to the one-day side after successfully recovering from ankle surgery, while fellow Western Australians Jhye Richardson and Josh Inglis have been recalled.
“It’s been a solid three months of rehab … I’ve had no setbacks and looking forward to getting back into it,” said Marsh, who is also yet to resume bowling.
“For now it’s a bit of a luxury to come back as a batsmen and we’ll see how the bowling goes.
“But I’ve done the work, the rehab has gone to plan and I am ready to go.”
Marsh will play in Western Australia’s Marsh Cup match in Hobart on Sunday, while Maxwell said he would not play in Victoria’s one-day fixture against South Australia, but would turn out for club side Fitzroy Doncaster on Saturday before playing another Sheffield Shield game next week.
Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood was not included in the squad, with head selector George Bailey saying the panel was taking a “conservative view” in managing his Achilles issue, which saw him return home after the second Test.
Captain Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar and David Warner were all named in the squad despite also leaving India this week.
Australia ODI squad: Pat Cummins (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.
