5 problems Australia should deal with ahead of the Ashes

#2 Glenn Maxwell’s role in test team is not clearly specified

Glenn Maxwell

Everybody is very well aware of what damage Maxwell can cause with his hard-hitting shots. Maxwell is mercurial but he does possess match winning abilities, and that’s mainly the reason why he is picked in the test team ahead of some other deserving candidates.

What is Glen Maxwell’s role in this test team? Is he one of your full-time batsman who can bowl you some overs? Well his poor average of 23.14 in 6 test matches doesn’t justify his selection. As a proper batsman, so far Maxwell hasn’t been able to establish himself in this team as he hasn't been able to convert starts into bigger scores.

Or is he a bowling all-rounder whose runs with the bat is an additional bonus? Again he has 8 wickets in 6 test matches proving that he’s not that good an option in test matches, which also explains why the captain Steven Smith uses him sparingly.

So there’s confusion with regards to Maxwell’s role in the test team. If Australia are looking for a proper batsman at the number 6 position, then selecting Shaun Marsh when he is fit or even giving Hilton Cartwright more opportunities makes sense.

If Australia are seeking for a bowling all-rounder then without Mitchell Marsh, who is out injured, they could give a longer run to someone like Moises Henriques. He has played in test matches earlier and having him in the team for the Ashes gives Smith an additional fast bowling option along with being sure of some handy runs down the order, as technique wise Henriques is ahead of Maxwell with the bat.

Australia need to be completely sure of what they want and most importantly looking at Maxwell’s uneventful test career so far, they should probably look at other options when they head into a very important series such as the Ashes.