'Has to be a consideration': Aussie coach Andrew McDonald's message to Glenn Maxwell
Australia men's coach Andrew McDonald believes Glenn Maxwell made "an honest mistake" but says the cricket star needs to take responsibility for his actions after another incident involving alcohol.
Maxwell, 35, reportedly became dehydrated and fell asleep at an Adelaide pub last week after drinking at a golf day and then meeting other high-profile cricket players at a hotel to watch Brett Lee's band Six And Out.
He was taken to hospital but is said to have now recovered from the incident.
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Maxwell was also hospitalised late in 2022 when he broke his leg while celebrating a friend's birthday.
Cricket Australia helped Maxwell's recovery from that incident, and he repaid them somewhat by starring in a couple of ODI World Cup matches a year later to help the Aussies to a tournament victory.
Glenn Maxwell. Getty
But McDonald says Maxwell needs to be mindful of how he conducts himself and looks after his own body.
"I've spoken to Glenn, had a good chat to him yesterday around the incident, and him looking after himself has to be a consideration moving forward," McDonald told SEN radio on Wednesday.
"We've given him the opportunity to rest and rehab in that period of time and I suppose the lessons for him around that would be to take up his end of the bargain in that place and take care of himself.
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"We want to see Glenn Maxwell playing cricket for the next three or four years for Australia.
"Can he get to the next World Cup in 2027 in South Africa? Who knows, but he's a key player in our white-ball formats, and when he's out there we're a far better team.
"On the back of that horrific injury he did have, there's going to be some management things put in place around him, but we want Glenn playing for Australia for as long as he can, and we're going to have to do our end and Glenn's no doubt going to have to pull up his end of that bargain."
Maxwell looks certain to avoid any sanction for the latest incident, although he was last week withdrawn from the ODI squad to face the West Indies.
McDonald denied that was punishment or as a result of the Adelaide saga.
"All the information he's given, he's had a few drinks and the night has ended the way that it did and that's less than ideal from his perspective and our perspective," McDonald said.
"It's got to be a consideration for him how he looks after himself moving forward for the longevity of his career, but we've also got to weigh into that with the way we manage him, and we feel as though this is best for him at this point in time."
