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Glenn Maxwell's painful incident in Sheffield Shield in return from injury

The Aussie cricketer has only just made his return from a devastating leg injury last year.

Sam Goodwin
·Sports Editor
·4-min read
Glenn Maxwell, pictured here after being struck on the wrist in the Sheffield Shield.
Glenn Maxwell was struck on the wrist in the Sheffield Shield. Image: Fox Sports/Getty

Glenn Maxwell has suffered a wrist injury in his first match in the Sheffield Shield in three years in a further scare for the Aussie all-rounder. The 34-year-old made his return to Shield cricket this week for Victoria, taking on South Australia in Melbourne.

It marked a huge step in Maxwell's recovery from a broken leg he suffered last year in a freak accident at a friend's birthday party. But the Victorian was dealt a fresh blow on Tuesday when he was struck on the wrist while fielding at slip and had to leave the field.

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It was the second time that Maxwell was struck on the left arm, leaving the Victorian in obvious pain. He was assessed by medical staff, with the extent of the injury not yet known.

Victoria have confirmed there is no fracture, and he was assessed further before a decision was made to allow him to bat in the second innings. Unfortunately for Maxwell he was dismissed for a second-ball duck after being bowled by Wes Agar.

The new blow comes at the worst possible time for Maxwell, with his name thrown up as a shock option to join Australia's squad for the final two Tests in India. Maxwell was thought to be in contention to go to India before his devastating leg injury in November, which saw him miss crucial Sheffield Shield games in the lead-up to the tour.

Australia coach Andrew McDonald said on Monday: "If he gets through everything that he needs to then he’ll be a starter for that one-day series (against India after the Tests). Anything forward of that will be discussed."

Maxwell made just 5 in the first innings as Victoria were bowled out for 169. However South Australia didn't fare any better, making the meagre total of 114.

Glenn Maxwell's return after devastating leg injury

Last week, Cricket Victoria head of male cricket David Hussey said of Maxwell's Shield return: "To bring a player of Glenn's calibre into the squad is exciting. He has a fantastic record in Shield cricket and it's a shame he hasn't been able to play more of it."

Maxwell missed the entire BBL tournament due to the broken leg, which at one stage looked like it could threaten his career. Maxwell injured himself in November when he slipped on some slippery synthetic grass. He said he was pretending to chase one of his friends, but got his foot stuck as they both slipped and was caught underneath.

Glenn Maxwell, pictured here in action for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield against South Australia.
Glenn Maxwell in action for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield against South Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images) (Quinn Rooney via Getty Images)

"He fell, unfortunately at a really bad angle and landed straight on my leg," he said soon after the accident. "It just snapped. I heard and felt every part of it. It was pretty painful."

Maxwell said the fact the injury cost him a potential recall to the Test side was hard to deal with. “Probably will nag at me for the rest of my life,” he said.

“It’s nice getting the opportunity to watch your teammates play, especially over there. I think they’ve got the squad that’s probably as good as I’ve seen go over to India since I’ve been watching Tests over there, anyway."

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