Give Maxwell a crack: Barry Richards

South African legend Barry Richards has backed Glenn Maxwell to help turn around Australia's poor recent Test cricket record.

Allrounder Maxwell is considered out of the selection picture for the series against the Proteas as Australia endeavour to overcome 1-0 deficit, starting with the second Test in Hobart beginning on Saturday.

Maxwell was surprisingly left out of Victoria's Sheffield Shield opener against Tasmania, but hit 81 runs on return as the Bushrangers beat Queensland last week.

"One of the guys at always appealed to me was Glenn Maxwell," Richards told 6PR.

Proteas great Barry Richards. (Getty)

"I know that he's a bit of a maverick in terms that he plays Twenty20 cricket too often and hasn't learnt how to play in Test cricket.

"But he's certainly got the ability. He adds something in the field and he can also give you a few overs."

Australia could soon be in search of a new allrounder with Mitch Marsh struggling with the bat, with his handy fast-medium bowling keeping him in the XI.

Maxwell, meanwhile, has hit 497 runs at 55.22 in Sheffield Shield cricket since 2014-15, but is considered a better Test cricket prospect in Asia rather than Australia with his off-spin.

"He just seemed the logical guy for me," said Richards, who averaged 72 in his only four Tests before South Africa was shut out of international cricket due to apartheid.

"But you need to talk to him a little bit more about how to bat in a Test match."