Friday, December 2, 2016

Zahid Suleman Sadiq Gill - Lehmann pours cold water on Maxwell's Test cricket recall hopes

Australian coach Darren Lehmann has sent a blunt message to the dissatisfied Glenn Maxwell: make some runs.

Maxwell whipped up a storm on Thursday when he criticised Australian one-day teammate and Victorian captain Matthew Wade for his decision to bat above him in the Bushrangers’ batting order.
The explosive allrounder, who was controversially dropped for Victoria’s Sheffield Shield opener, said it was painful after being asked to bat at No6 in matches below Wade against NSW and Queensland last month.

His comments have gone down like a lead balloon with his Victorian teammates, after he said it affected his chance to break into the Australian Test side.

However Lehmann said Maxwell was never in the running for the recent Adelaide Test against South Africa because he simply wasn’t making enough runs.

“No. Because he hasn’t made 100 for the last two years. You need to make 100,” Lehmann said.

“Are you going to pick a bloke that hasn’t made 100 for two years?”

Lehmann said while it was not ideal to have teammates trading barbs before Australia’s three-match one-day series against New Zealand begins at the SCG on Sunday, it wasn’t proving a distraction.

“We’re obviously disappointed but we’ll work through those issues,” Lehmann said.
 
“We’re confident they can work together.”

Meanwhile Maxwell’s Victorian teammate Rob Quiney has told the allrounder to pull his head in and make some runs.

Bushrangers veteran Quiney, who is yet to play in the Shield this summer, said Maxwell was in no position to have a go at his teammates.

“I think he just needs to lip it and just make some runs,” Quiney told EON Sports radio on Friday.

“Victoria are flying at the moment, but he’s not setting the world on fire himself. He’s actually only batted at six twice so I don’t know where this has come from.

“It’s good that he’s honest, unfortunately it’s probably not the greatest attitude to have I reckon.”
Victoria opener Marcus Harris backed Wade, saying the side’s unbeaten Shield record this summer showed he was making the right choices.

Victorian cricket great Darren Berry suggested Wade may have placed himself higher in the order to boost his own Test selection chances.

But that didn’t excuse Maxwell’s comments, particularly considering the depth of Victoria’s batting lineup.

“That’s me, me, me stuff isn’t it?,” Berry told SEN Breakfast.

“Cameron White’s been batting behind him at seven. (He) didn’t come out and criticise Matthew Wade. You just don’t do it.”

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