Glenn Maxwell handed one-match suspension by Victoria for missing recovery session

Maxwell will miss Victoria’s crucial match on Tuesday after being handed a one-match ban

Explosive Australian batsman Glenn Maxwell has been suspended for one match by his domestic team Victoria, after the batsman broke rules and missed a team recovery session at his own peril, reports cricket.com.au. Maxwell’s absence from the mandatory session did not go down well with the coach, who immediately dropped him from the side.

Victoria could be in a spot of bother as they will be missing the services of the enigmatic all-rounder when they face Tigers at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday in a match they are required to win to guarantee their place in the Matador BBQS One-Day Cup elimination final. However, Victoria’s coach David Saker justified Maxwell’s suspension and criticised the batsman’s behaviour.

“We’re disappointed that Glenn let down his teammates and missed a recovery session this morning. We have high expectations of all our players and as a senior player, Glenn should be taking a leadership role. As a result he will not be playing in tomorrow’s match against Tasmania”, the coach said.

A visibly disappointed Maxwell said that he was unaware of the recovery session but acknowledged his mistake.

“I understand that I broke team rules by missing recovery and I have accepted the consequences,” he said. “It was an oversight on my behalf where I thought I had a free morning before some Australia team commitments. I'm extremely disappointed to be missing a game, but I will continue to do everything possible to help the Bushrangers win the Matador Cup.”

He would be available for selection in Friday’s elimination final, should they qualify while Maxwell’s place in the side for the crucial encounter on Tuesday will in most probability will be taken by all-rounder Marcus Stoinis.

Ever since playing an integral part in Australia’s successful 2015 World Cup campaign, Maxwell hasn’t been in the best of forms in the domestic and international circuit and had openly admitted that he had lost motivation. During this period, he has also come in for criticism from national team coach Darren Lehmann who felt Maxwell’s tendency to be dismissed on loose deliveries was hampering his chances of being included in the Test side.

Maxwell had responded to those comments by saying that Lehmann was simply trying to pressurise him into performing better but the latest episode is sure to invite fresh criticism, especially from an Australian side that is known to be harsh on matters of discipline.