'I didn't score enough runs' - Maxwell

Glenn Maxwell has conceded that his batting form warranted being axed from Australia's ODI side, and is determined instead to make the most of his opportunity for some red-ball cricket with Australia A. Despite being named Australia's ODI cricketer of the year in January, Maxwell has been cut from the squad for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka.

National selector Rod Marsh said Maxwell had been given "a lot of chances" and lacked the consistency to justify ongoing selection in the ODI batting order. Since the end of the home one-day summer, Maxwell has batted seven times in ODIs for scores of 0, 6, 0, 0, 3, 46*, and 4. In the past year, Maxwell has 396 ODI runs at 28.28 and 11 wickets at 39.45.

Instead of being part of the Sri Lanka tour, Maxwell joined the Australia A squad in Queensland and scored 0 and 38 in the first four-day game against South Africa A in Brisbane. The series has now moved on to Townsville for the second red-ball fixture.

"I think I've taken it pretty well," Maxwell told reporters in Townsville. "Having this opportunity at the same time probably softens the blow a little bit. It gives you an opportunity to prove them wrong or show them that you really want to be back in there. It gives you an opportunity to play games of cricket in July and August, which other people don't have. So it is a big silver lining having these games.

"If you look at my last 10 one-dayers, I didn't score enough runs. As they've always said, if you're in that top six, you're a batting allrounder first. I probably didn't make as many runs as I would have liked. It would have been nice to have been in Sri Lanka with the spinning conditions and get a bit more of a chance with the ball, but I had to make more runs when I had the opportunity. I fully take responsibility for that."

Maxwell said he was happy to have the chance at some first-class cricket, a format that has provided him with consistent results over the past few years, but limited opportunities due to his regular commitments in the shorter formats for Australia.

"I've been in really good form with that over the last few years," Maxwell said of first-class cricket. "It has been a really consistent format for me, statistically my best format, which people don't seem to quite grasp very well."

Maxwell will stay on with Australia A for the quadrangular one-day series that follows the four-day game against South Africa A. India A and Australia's National Performance Squad round out the teams in the one-day competition.