Maxwell hopes to be fit for back-end of T20I series against India

Glenn Maxwell is optimistic he can still play a part in Australia's upcoming T20I series against India despite having surgery on his fractured right wrist last week.

Maxwell suffered the fracture when he was hit on the wrist by a powerfully struck shot from Mitchell Owen while bowling in the nets in the lead-up to the T20I series against New Zealand in Mount Maunganui.

He was immediately sent home to see a specialist and opted to have surgery to try and hasten the recovery time down to four weeks to give himself a chance to play against India.

Maxwell was not named in Australia's squad for the first two T20Is on October 29 and 31 in Canberra and Melbourne, but speaking in Melbourne on Thursday, he hoped to be fit to play a part in the final three matches, with the third match of the series on November 2 in Hobart, the fourth on November 6 on the Gold Coast, and the final match in Brisbane on November 8.

"I think having the surgery last week sort of gives me a little bit more hope of playing some part in that India series, if I can get myself right," Maxwell said. "The only reason I had the surgery was the options they gave me were miss that series completely and no surgery, or have surgery and it gives me a slim chance to hopefully play a part. And if not, I'll be ready earlier for the BBL, and I think it leaves me in good stead to get the rest of my body right."

Maxwell said he had a cast removed on Wednesday and will now wear a moulded plastic splint to protect it for a period of time, but he had been given the all-clear to start moving the wrist again. "I only met with a hand therapist yesterday," Maxwell said. "He only gave me some really basic movements, things that look really boring, but I suppose they're going to strengthen the wrist."

Returning early for the back-end of the India series is unlikely to come with any added risk in terms of further injury. Maxwell said the main concern will be pain management depending on how it feels when he bats.

It is yet another freak injury to add to Maxwell's bizarre catalogue, that includes a broken leg at a birthday party and a concussion from falling off a golf cart.

"I was probably just a bit unlucky with the position that it hit me on the arm," Maxwell said. "When it hit me, I thought I was lucky that it hit just bone and it wasn't too much flesh, and it was going to be right.

"But, yeah, another unlucky one."

The injury has made him rethink bowling in the nets to power hitters like Owen and some of his other team-mates. "I try to avoid bowling to those guys," Maxwell said. "Guys like Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Mitch Owen and Cam Green, long levers, strong, it just comes back too quick. It's not fun, But I should know better. I should know better to bowl into the hip and I'll be doing that I think come BBL time."

Maxwell was frustrated to miss the series against New Zealand given he was in excellent form. In his last T20I innings in August against South Africa, he steered Australia home to a series win with a remarkable 62 not out from 36 balls in a nail-biting chase. Then in late September, despite retiring from ODI cricket earlier in the year, he played two Australian domestic One-Day Cup matches for Victoria to prepare for the New Zealand tour and smashed 107 off 82 balls against Queensland.

He was asked whether he had a timeline on the end of his T20I career and if the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles were in his mind, but he said he had not thought past December.

"I'm literally thinking about round one of the BBL at the moment," Maxwell said. "Let's just get there first. If I'm still enjoying my cricket by then... I'm not setting dates or anything."

Maxwell is excited about the upcoming BBL season where he hopes to help Melbourne Stars to an elusive BBL title, having been equal Player of the Tournament last season as they played the finals for the first time since losing the 2019-20 final under his captaincy in heartbreaking fashion to Melbourne Renegades.

He said the arrival of former India spinner R Ashwin is going to supercharge the BBL season.

"That's really exciting," Maxwell said. "It's great for the competition. I think anytime you can get world-class superstars who have got the career that he has as a part of the BBL is a massive bonus for us. He's been extremely successful. He's got a hell of a lot of wisdom in the game. I think he's going to give back a lot to the players in the BBL. I don't think it's just the Sydney Thunder, I think the guys that are playing against him will probably ask him a lot of questions, and he's certainly going to bring in a lot of fans as well."

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