Maxwell almost chose England

Australian limited-overs star Glenn Maxwell was on the brink of switching his national allegiance to England, the 25-year-old has admitted.

In an interview with the ECB website, Maxwell said the option presented itself during his first County stint with Hampshire in 2012.

“When I first came over here, I had an English passport and I was thinking about converting to an English player,” he said.

“I wasn’t sure how my cricket was going back home and I really just wanted to play the whole season as an English player in the first-class arena.”

Maxwell’s career has since taken off, to the point that he is now a regular fixture in Australia’s ODI and Twenty20 teams, and was named the Most Valuable Player on the back of his superb run-scoring feats in the recently completed Indian Premier League.

But instead of turning out in green and gold, the big-hitting right-hander could well have ended up in the blue of England.

“I had the option of doing that, and after a long chat with Giles (White, Hampshire director of cricket), we decided to go against it,” he said.

“It obviously worked out for the best because they gave me plenty of opportunities as an overseas player in the T20, and I got picked up for Australia soon after that.

“So it was a good choice and I’m very thankful to him for that.”

Maxwell appears to be hitting form in the County Championship, having scored 24 and 85 and taken 2-33 against Worcestershire in his most recent outing.