Mount Maunganui, Sep 30 (UNI) Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been ruled out of the three-match T20 International series against New Zealand after suffering a freak injury during nets today.
The 36-year-old was bowling to Mitchell Owen when a powerful drive struck him on the forearm. Scans later confirmed a fracture, forcing Cricket Australia to draft in wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Philippe as his replacement.
Matthew Short, who witnessed the incident from an adjoining net, recounted the drama. “I saw it out of the corner of my eye. We’re training under a marquee, so it’s really echo-y and loud. I saw Owen smoke it and then the aftermath — it hit Maxi on the wrist. It didn’t sound good,” Short said.
He added that Maxwell, who has endured multiple setbacks in recent years, looked visibly disappointed. “Owen is not the guy you want to be bowling to in T20 training, that’s for sure. Maxi’s been there and gone through that a couple of times now. He was a bit disappointed, but it’s just like any other injury. I’m sure he’ll get through it.”
The latest blow adds to a string of unfortunate injuries for Maxwell. In 2022, he broke his leg in a bizarre accident when a friend fell on him at a birthday party, an injury that required surgery and continues to be managed. During the 2023 ODI World Cup, he also suffered a concussion after falling off a golf cart.
With Australia using the New Zealand series as part of their build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup, Maxwell now faces a race against time to regain fitness for the T20I series against India, beginning October 29 in Canberra. His absence opens the door for veteran Marcus Stoinis, who last featured in T20Is in November 2024, to return to the middle order alongside power-hitters Owen and Tim David.
Australia squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Tim David, Ben Dwarshuis, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Matt Kuhnemann, Mitchell Owen, Josh Philippe, Matthew Short, Marcus Stoinis, Adam Zampa.
