Follow UsIn what could come as a serious blow to Australia’s preparation for the 2023 World Cup, Glenn Maxwell, their premier all-rounder, is likely to miss a chunk of the three-match ODI series as the Kangaroos look to tread with caution in a bid to have the 34-year-old fully fit for the Mega Event.
Maxwell, who broke his leg late last year in a freak accident, was set to play the T20I series versus South Africa but had to go home after experiencing pain in his ankle. Wanting to take no risks, the management sent the 34-year-old back home.
It was said a couple of weeks back that Maxwell would recover in time for the India series, but, speaking on Sunday, the all-rounder revealed that he and the management are in no hurry to rush him back into action.
“I still want to play some part of that India series," Maxwell said on Sunday, reported ESPN Cricinfo.
"But I'm not feeling any pressure on it.
“The selectors and the staff have been brilliant with me as well. They don't want to put too much pressure on me to sort of set that date because they know they've got a bit of extra time before the World Cup.
“So instead of rushing it and probably putting myself a week or two behind, being able to give myself extra time and make sure we get through the whole tournament."
Maxwell, on Sunday, confirmed that he had had a cortisone injection in the ankle, revealing that his tendon flared up a bit after training.
"I don't think I could have predicted how sore I was going to be once I got to South Africa," he said.
"But it was one of those things. Even when I went to train that day, I still felt fine. There was nothing wrong. Something just got impinged. I think one of the tendons around my ankle was a little bit inflamed, there's a bit of swelling, so it kept on catching which meant it just gave me a bit of pain.
“Hopefully, the cortisone takes care of that and I can get back up and running to where I was just before I went to South Africa.”
Maxwell confirmed that he’ll get back to full training later this week.
"We've probably just got to be a bit smarter going forward. Making sure that my preparation is a bit more managed, I think leading into a flight like that. I'm already back in the gym, so I'll probably get back into full training probably this week, so it won't be a long turnaround. It's just knowing that I'm not over the hurdle of the original injury yet."
It’s been an injury-stricken build-up to the World Cup for Australia, who are also sweating on the fitness of Mitchell Starc, Steven Smith and Pat Cummins. The trio will not feature in the South Africa ODIs but are expected to be fit in time for the India ODIs, starting September 22.
You can check out the full schedule for the India-Australia ODIs here