SA vs AUS: There comes a huge blow for the Australian team as Maxwell has been ruled out of the South Africa T20I series due to an injury. Matthew Wade another prolific player comes on board as Maxwell’s replacement for the South Africa vs Australia T20I series. For the unversed, Maxwell suffered an ankle injury during Australia’s first training session in Durban.
Australia’s medical team termed the injury as a minor aggravation to his left ankle & has adopted a conservative route to tackle it with ODI World Cup 2023 in the picture. Glenn Maxwell was already due to leave the tour after the T20I series to be present for the birth of his first child before joining the squad in India.
“We have opted for a proactive strategy, considering Glenn’s initial plans of returning home next week,”
remarked Tony Dodemaide, the Australian selector.
“Our focus is on closely observing Glenn’s recuperation, with the intention of having him ready for the upcoming three-game ODI series in India, just ahead of the World Cup.”
SA vs AUS T20I Series: Mathew Wade walks in as Glenn Maxwell’s Replacement
Notably, Matthew Wade was not named in the original squad due to the inclusion of Josh Inglis. However, destiny has some other plans as Maxwell’s injury landed Wade a go-to for South Africa T20I Series. Recently, Wade featured in the Hundred 2023 tournament where he was a part of London Spirit’s franchise.
He was planning to take retirement from International cricket after the T20 World Cup 2022 but decided to step back in subsequent months possibly after a discussion with Cricket Australia & selectors committee. The chairman of the selectors committee, George Bailey indicated that he will surely feature in the T20 World Cup 2024 in West Indies & USA.
Of course, we’re looking forward to Wade making a comeback to the T20 squad following the India series after the World Cup, as mentioned by Bailey. This decision presents a valuable opening to grant Josh some actual playing time. He’s been part of numerous tours across different formats but hasn’t really had a fair chance on the field.
Considering Alex Carey’s role as the wicketkeeper in ODIs, the main aim is to make sure that Josh is all set in case there’s a need due to Alex’s injury. This way, he can transition smoothly, having earned himself some valuable match exposure,” Bailey concluded in his statement.
Glenn Maxwell’s absence has opened up a position in the middle order which could provide an opportunity for Ashton Turner to prove his prowess. Turner was named as a replacement for Steven Smith or uncapped player Aaron Hardie.
South Africa vs Australia T20I series will begin in Durban on Wednesday with all three matches played in the same city across five days.
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