Ashes heroes want Maxwell in Brisbane

Australian Ashes heroes Shane Warne and Michael Slater have called for national selectors to keep the faith with Glenn Maxwell for the upcoming series against England.

Test incumbent Maxwell is under pressure to hold onto the No.6 spot in Australia's XI having gone seven Test knocks without a half-century since his breakthrough hundred against India in March.

The right-hander found form with two fifties in the JLT Sheffield Shield last week and Warne has called on selectors to be 'bold and aggressive' by picking the enigmatic Victorian.

"All teams need matchwinners and make no mistake, Maxi is one of those," Warne wrote in the Herald Sun.

"Yes, we will shake our heads and roll our eyes occasionally, but we have to accept the odd horror and enjoy his best when it comes off.

"He makes things happen in all facets of the game but needs encouragement from the leaders to express himself.

"The big occasions bring out the best in this type of player and the selectors have to show faith in his talent."

Slater, who played in 16 Ashes Tests alongside Warne in the 1990s and early 2000s, said he feared selectors were favouring allrounder Hilton Cartwright over Maxwell.

"Do I personally think (Maxwell) is going to get selected? I have my doubts about that," Slater told the Nine Network's Sports Sunday program.

"I think they still want this allrounder and that could be Cartwright.

"(Maxwell) has got some runs on the board. I would have liked to have seen one of those 60s (in the Shield) to be 130.

"I want to see him play Test cricket in this country. He hasn't been given the opportunity."

The opinions of Warne and Slater differed when it came to the vacant wicketkeeping berth for the Magellan Ashes, with Warne backing incumbent Matthew Wade and Slater calling for change.

Slater backed NSW gloveman Peter Nevill to regain his Test spot and while Warne agreed that Nevill should not have been dropped 12 months ago, selectors had to back in Wade.

"There has been a succession of stuff-ups with the keepers — Brad Haddin should not have been dropped for Nevill (in 2015), Nevill should not have been booted for Wade," Warne wrote.

"We’ve twice made poor decisions. Let’s not do it a third time.

"Wade has not been making runs, but batting down the order on spinning, fizzing wickets in India and Bangladesh isn’t easy.

"For mine, stick with him at home and, like Maxwell, if after two Tests he hasn’t made runs then Nevill comes straight in."

Shane Warne's Ashes XI: David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

Michael Slater's Ashes XI: David Warner, Matthew Renshaw, Usman Khawaja, Steve Smith (c), Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill (wk), Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood

2017-18 International Fixtures:

Magellan Ashes Series

First Test Gabba, November 23-27. Buy tickets

Second Test Adelaide Oval, December 2-6 (Day-Night). Buy tickets

Third Test WACA Ground, December 14-18. Buy tickets

Fourth Test MCG, December 26-30. Buy tickets

Fifth Test SCG, January 4-8 (Pink Test). Buy tickets

Gillette ODI Series v England

First ODI MCG, January 14. Buy tickets

Second ODI Gabba, January 19. Buy tickets

Third ODI SCG, January 21. Buy tickets

Fourth ODI Adelaide Oval, January 26. Buy tickets

Fifth ODI Perth TBC, January 28. Join the ACF

Prime Minister's XI

PM's XI v England Manuka Oval, February 2. Buy tickets

Gillette T20 INTL Series

First T20I Australia v NZ, SCG, February 3. Buy tickets

Second T20I – Australia v England, Blundstone Arena, February 7. Buy tickets

Third T20I – Australia v England, MCG, February 10. Buy tickets

Fourth T20I – NZ v England, Wellington, February 13

Fifth T20I – NZ v Australia, Eden Park, February 16

Sixth T20I – NZ v England, Seddon Park, February 18

Final – TBC, Eden Park, February 21