Maxwell thrown a lifeline

GLENN Maxwell’s eyes have cleared at the same time as national selectors who have embraced the Victorian’s golden summer and recalled him to the one-day squad.

A hamstring injury to red-hot Aussie opener Aaron Finch could pave the way for his former housemate Maxwell to surge back to where plenty believe he belongs.

Maxwell’s return to the national fold comes after he was dumped from the Test squad without a thankyou then overlooked initially for the one-day team, with a slap from skipper Steve Smith, despite a bag full of domestic runs.

It remains unclear whether Maxwell will play in today’s clash with England, but he’s expected to also be retained in the squad for Sunday’s final game in Perth.

Maxwell continued his irrepressible push for a return to national colours with a stunning knock of 84 off just 47 balls at the SCG on Tuesday, watched by national coach Darren Lehmann, taking his Big Bash season tally to 299. He showed his array of creative shots and hit nearly as many sixes in his innings (four) as the entire Australian team did at the same ground in a losing one-day effort last Sunday (five).

The effort came despite Maxwell battling a bout of conjunctivitis which needed eye drops throughout his innings.

South Australian Travis Head, who was picked ahead of Maxwell in the one-day outfit then sent back to the Big Bash after making just 12 runs in the first two games, is in line for a recall to open the batting in place of Finch.