Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is considering sitting out of the forthcoming ODI series against India, scheduled to start on September 22 in Mohali. This cautious move comes as Maxwell experienced a flare-up in his previously injured left ankle, raising concerns ahead of the Cricket World Cup.
"I still want to play some part of that India series. But I'm not feeling any pressure on it," Maxwell was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.
"The selectors and the staff have been brilliant with me as well. They don't want to put too much pressure on me to sort of set that date because they know they've got a bit of extra time before the World Cup.
"So instead of rushing it and probably putting myself a week or two behind, being able to give myself extra time and make sure we get through the whole tournament," he added.
Maxwell was recently ruled out of the T20I series against South Africa after feeling soreness in the same left ankle that he had injured last year. The 34-year-old cricketer, who also has a metal plate in his left leg from a fibula fracture last November, was sent back from South Africa early after his ankle issues resurfaced during the team's initial training session.
"I don't think I could have predicted how sore I was going to be once I got to South Africa. But it was one of those things. Even when I went to train that day, I still felt fine. There was nothing wrong," Maxwell continued.
"Something just got impinged. I think one of the tendons around my ankle was a little bit inflamed, there's a bit of swelling, so it kept on catching which meant it just gave me a bit of pain.
"Hopefully, the cortisone takes care of that and I can get back up and running to where I was just before I went to South Africa," he added.
Cricket Australia's medical team has opted for a conservative approach, particularly with the World Cup event just weeks away. Teams are required to submit their 15-member World Cup squads to the ICC by September 5, although changes are permitted until September 27.
"We've probably just got to be a bit smarter going forward. Making sure that my preparation is a bit more managed, I think leading into a flight like that," said Maxwell.
"I'm already back in the gym, so I'll probably get back into full training probably this week, so it won't be a long turnaround. It's just knowing that I'm not over the hurdle of the original injury yet," he added.
Post the India ODI series, Australia is slated to play warm-up matches against the Netherlands and Pakistan on September 30 and October 3, respectively. Their World Cup campaign will officially kick off against host nation India in Chennai on October 8.
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(With PTI inputs, powered by AI)
