Maxwell set to Make Shield Return with Test Hopes on the Horizon

Victoria captain Will Sutherland has confirmed that Glenn Maxwell will be making himself available to play some Sheffield Shield cricket during the early part of the summer. This decision is part of Maxwell's efforts to secure a spot on Australia's Test tour to Sri Lanka in January and February. The spin-bowling all-rounder is determined to showcase his skills and prove his worth for the national team.

Maxwell, who turns 36 in October, is currently in England with Australia's ODI team and has not played a Shield match for Victoria since February 2023 and has played only two first-class matches in the last five years due to his white-ball commitments and his freak leg injury.

Australia's ODI players are set to return from England early next week with the opening Shield round to begin on October 8. Victoria host Tasmania at the Junction Oval in Melbourne before a host of Australia Test and white-ball stars look set to be available for the second Shield round starting on October 20 when Victoria host New South Wales at the MCG.

The third and fourth Shield rounds overlap with Australia's home ODI and T20I series against Pakistan that runs from November 4-18. There are also two Australia A first-class games against India A in the first two weeks of November. There are two more Shield rounds starting on November 24 and December 6 respectively while the Border-Gavaskar series is underway, just before the BBL starts.

Maxwell will not be part of Australia's plans for the five-Test home series against India barring a very unique set of unforseen circumstances eventuating. But he is a chance to go to Sri Lanka for the two-Test series that could be crucial in Australia's quest to make another World Test Championship final. 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.

Australia's selectors have made it clear previously that they see very little link between Shield cricket and Test cricket in Sri Lanka from a form line perspective but Victoria is keen to have Maxwell play some red-ball cricket for them in the early part of the summer and it will be an opportunity for him to get into the red-ball rhythm given he has played so little in recent years, despite conditions in Victoria in October being a world away from the subcontinent.

"I think he'll be available for a couple and I believe he's keen to play as well," Sutherland said on Wednesday. "Obviously, things can change with him playing at the moment, but to have a player like Glenn potentially come into our side is a bit of a luxury, so hopefully that can work out nicely."

Maxwell's last first-class game was for Warwickshire in the county championship last year where he made 81 off 67 and bowled 24 overs across two innings.

Scott Boland injured his heel on his Durham debut

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Victoria are unlikely to have Australia fast bowler Scott Boland available for the first Shield game of the summer against Tasmania as he slowly builds up off a knee issue, having also been ruled out of his county stint with Durham earlier this year due to plantar fasciitis in his foot. But he is set to be unleashed in the game against NSW at the MCG where Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon and Steven Smith are all a chance to play for the Blues.

"I believe it's the second [game]," Sutherland said of Boland's return. "You have to double check with him, but I faced him in the nets a few days ago, and he's still nipping the ball back into me, blowing my quad off every second ball. He's still got his tools, and he's just building up nicely. I'm sure he'll be ready to go for the Shield season."

Sutherland revealed he will likely be on bowling restrictions during the start of the Shield season coming off a stress fracture in his back. He bowled six overs and made 36 not out in Victoria's opening One-Day Cup win over Tasmania on Monday in Melbourne and will bowl again in Friday's One-Day Cup game against Queensland. But he confirmed he is still working up his loads for Shield cricket and might be restricted in the number of overs he can bowl.

"I'll be able to play the first game, probably, I just won't be able to bowl as many overs as I would like," Sutherland said. "I'll be on restrictions. What that looks like will depend on how Friday goes. But, yeah, there'll be limits for sure.

"I think the main issue is bowling back-to-back days, so I'll be able to bowl a fair bit on one day, but then unfortunately, the next day we'll be in a bit of strife. So it does create some issues at times. But we'll just have to work through that and maybe miss the odd game here and there."

Sutherland has been doing some work on his action over the winter with Victoria bowling coach Adam Griffith in order to avoid further back trouble.

"I'm just trying to get more stable at the crease," Sutherland said. "I would like to pick up a couple yards as well. So I've definitely been doing plenty. They sort of go hand in hand. The more efficient you get, it's probably safer at the crease, and you can maybe pick up a few yards as well. Definitely doing some work there."

One man who won't be part of Victoria's Shield team at the start of the season is Will Pucovski. The one-Test opener has not been training with the group and is set to finish his playing career after a medical panel advised he not continue due to the repeated concussions that he has suffered. It is understood it will be a while before his medical retirement is formally confirmed due to ongoing negotiations over his contract and injury compensation.

Sutherland said he has been in contact with Pucovski via text message and said his teammates have been checking in.

"He's probably closer to other guys than me but we've sent the odd message to each other, just trying to stick with him," Sutherland said. "We're a tight group at Victoria. We want to have that family sort of feel so I'm sure a lot of boys have tried to keep in touch with him.

"I'm not sure of the situation he's obviously going through at the moment. I'm probably not the right person to ask. But hopefully things can work out for him, and we're definitely looking after him and trying to keep in touch."