All-rounder' Glenn Maxwell eyes Test comeback

Glenn Maxwell, Australian all-rounder, reckons he will have to contribute with both bat and ball if he has to make a return to the national Test squad. The Victorian was overlooked for Australia's tour of Sri Lanka where Steve O'Keefe and Moises Henriques were recalled as the back-up spinner and all-rounder.

"Competin with Nathan Lyon is always going to be tough," Maxwell said on Saturday (May 28). "I've just got to improve my batting to the point where they can't resist having me as an all-rounder and a back-up to him," he added.

Maxwell managed to play nine Sheffield Shield games this season and averaged 56. His last Testappearancewas against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi, in November 2014.

Though Steven Smith took the path of turning into a pure batsman after he got dropped from the Australian Test squad, Maxwell has no intention of going down that road. "I don't think I can rest on just being a batsman. I know Steve Smith went that way when he lost his Test spot, not really bowling much at all. But I don't think I can go that direction. I have to keep working on both parts of my game and make sure they're good enough," said the 27-year-old.

However, Maxwell is clear about what he needs to do to get a place in the Australian Test side. Maxwell has already withdrawn from the NatWest T20 Blast in England, which gives him more time to prepare for the upcoming domestic season.

"I've decided not to play in England for the first time in four years. It might be a good chance to get a pre-season under my belt and spend a bit of time working on my game," he noted

Maxwell's primary focus, at the moment, is getting into the squad for the tour of West Indies. "If I can make some runs then and also hopefully in Sri Lanka for the one-day series, it still puts pressure on those guys in the squad," he said.

"I was obviously a bit disappointed initially but having a look at the squad they've picked for Sri Lanka, I can understand. They've got all bases covered. I think it's a squad that is going to win the series. It's a really strong squad and I fully understand why I'm not in it," he signed off.