Former Australia opener David Warner has voiced his opposition to all-rounder Glenn Maxwell's desire to return to Test cricket ahead of Australia’s 2025 tour of Sri Lanka. Warner raised concerns over Maxwell’s lack of recent red-ball experience, emphasizing the importance of playing Sheffield Shield matches to earn a spot in the Test squad.

In a conversation with CODE Sports, Warner expressed his doubts about Maxwell's readiness for Test cricket, pointing out that the all-rounder has not featured in enough four-day matches to justify his selection. While Maxwell has showcased his brilliance in white-ball formats, Warner believes that a consistent grind in first-class cricket is necessary for a player to earn a place in the Test squad.

"If you’re not being picked for your Shield team, then why do you deserve it? You’ve got to actually want it, to want to play four-day cricket," Warner said. He further added, "Unless he’s putting his hand up, he’s playing all the club cricket stuff and all that, to want to play Test cricket, he, in my (opinion), doesn’t deserve that opportunity."

Warner emphasized that playing red-ball cricket should be a priority for anyone aiming for a Test recall. "I just don’t think you can keep putting your hand up to say, ‘I want to play just that.’ You know, it’s like me saying I just want to play in Australia," he remarked, stressing that Maxwell needs to grind it out in the Sheffield Shield to be considered

Maxwell, who last played a Test match in 2017, has featured in only seven Test matches throughout his career, amassing 339 runs at an average of 26.07. His standout Test performance came during the 2017 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Ranchi, where he scored his lone century against India. Despite this, Maxwell has not been a regular feature in Australia’s red-ball squad, with his last Test appearance against Bangladesh in 2017.