Australian News – Sheffield Shield 2024-25 – Glenn Maxwell set for Shield return with Test hopes imminent

Australia’s ODI players are expected to return to England early next week for the opening round of the Shield starting on October 8. Victoria will host Tasmania at the Junction Oval in Melbourne before Australia’s Test and white-ball stars appear to be available for the round. the second round of the Shield starts on October 20 when Victoria host New South Wales at the MCG.

The third and fourth rounds of the Shield coincide with Australia’s home ODI and T20I series against Pakistan from November 4-18. There are also two Australia A first-class matches against India A in the first two weeks of November. There are two more rounds of the Shield starting on November 24 and December 6 while the Border-Gavaskar series continues, just before the BBL starts.

Maxwell will not be part of Australia’s squad for the five-match home Test series against India but is in line to travel to Sri Lanka for a two-Test series that could be crucial to Australia’s bid to make another World Test Championship final. Maxwell was part of the Sri Lanka tour in 2022 and almost played the first Test in Galle, his ability as a spin-bowling allrounder proving useful in spin situations, especially if the Tests are designed to be low-scoring and fast. . All his seven Test matches have been played in the subcontinent and he last came to Bangladesh in 2017.

Australia’s selectors have previously made it clear that they see little connection between Shield cricket and Test cricket in Sri Lanka from a form line perspective but Victoria are keen to have Maxwell play red-ball cricket for them at the start of the summer and it will be an opportunity for him to get into a red-ball rhythm as he has played sparingly in recent years though conditions in Victoria in October are far from continental.

“I think he will be there for a couple and I believe he is determined to play,” Sutherland said on Wednesday. “Obviously, things can change with the way he’s playing right now, but to have a player like Glenn potentially coming into our team is a luxury, hopefully that can work out.”

“I believe it’s the second one [game],” Sutherland said of Boland’s return. “You’ve got to double-check him, but I faced him in the sticks a few days ago, and he’s still giving me the ball back, hitting my four every second ball. So he still has his tools, and he builds just fine. So I’m sure he’ll be ready for the Shield season.”

Sutherland revealed that he may be banned from bowling at the start of the Shield season due to a back injury. He bowled six overs and made 36 not out in Victoria’s opening One-Day win over Tasmania on Monday in Melbourne but said he is still adjusting to Shield cricket but will bowl again in Friday’s One-Day Cup match against Queensland.

“I’ll be able to play the first game, maybe. I just won’t be able to bowl as many overs as I’d like,” Sutherland said. “I will have limits. What that looks like will depend on how Friday goes. But, yes, there will be limits for sure.

“I think the biggest problem is like bowling back in the past days, so I’ll be able to bowl a little bit one day, but unfortunately, the next day, we’ll be in contention. It causes problems at times but we’ll have to fix that and maybe we’ll miss the odd game here and there.

Sutherland has done some work on his practice over the winter with Victoria Bowling coach Adam Griffith to avoid another back problem.

“I’m just trying to settle into the rest zone,” Sutherland said. “I’d like to pick up a few more yards. So I’ve been doing a lot. They go hand in hand. If you work well, you’re probably safer in the area, and maybe you can get a few yards and we’re doing some work there.

Sutherland said he had contacted Pucovski via text message and said his colleagues were coming in.

“Maybe he’s closer to the other guys than me, but we’re just texting each other trying to stick with him,” said Sutherland. “We’re a strong team in Victoria. We want to have that family feeling so I’m sure a lot of guys have tried to get in touch with him.

“I’m not sure what he’s going through right now. I’m probably not the right person to ask him, but I hope things work out for him, and we’re watching him and trying to stay out of touch.”