Bailey keeps door ajar for Maxwell's Test return in Asia

Head selector George Bailey has left the door ajar for players like Glenn Maxwell to be late additions to Australia's Test squad in Sri Lanka if they "shoot the lights out" in the white-ball internationals or Australia A matches that precede the Test series.

Selectors today named a group of 34 players for the tour of Sri Lanka in June and July, which will start with limited-overs internationals and a series of red- and white-ball Australia A matches before concluding with two Tests in Galle.

A 16-player Test squad largely similar to the group that recorded a historic series win in Pakistan last month has already been named, but Bailey has flagged that red-hot form for Australia A or in ODI and T20I cricket could be enough for players to win a late Test call-up.

That's good news for players like Maxwell, who remains desperate to add to his seven Tests but has barely been sighted in red-ball cricket in recent years due to his importance to Australia's white-ball sides as they prepare for World Cups in T20s (this year) and ODIs (in 2023).

"We thought the (Test) guys … in Pakistan did a really good job on the back of also doing a really good job over the summer, so there wasn't too much discussion about others," Bailey said of the Test squad for Sri Lanka, with the omissions of Marcus Harris and Mark Steketee the only changes to the group that won in Pakistan.

"We're hoping to have that flexibility if we do need to add to the squad – Glenn or another player – then we have the ability to do that on an as-needs basis

"We know Glenn has had some red-ball success in these types of conditions and we're looking forward to him getting back and playing a good block of cricket through the T20s and one-day cricket.

"If he shoots the lights out or anyone else does particularly well, there's always going to be opportunities."

Maxwell has not played first-class cricket since October 2019, but Bailey knows better than most that a player can storm into Test calculations on the back of red-hot form in shorter formats.

Bailey was picked for Australia's 2013-14 Ashes triumph on the back of a mountain of runs in one-day cricket, while Andrew Symonds was handed a Test debut on Australia's 2004 tour of Sri Lanka having also dominated against the white ball.

It also means the two four-day Australia A games that run concurrently to the ODIs in Sri Lanka will take on extra importance for fringe players like Harris, Matt Renshaw and Jhye Richardson, who could be added to the Test squad if they hit top form.

In 2019, Kurtis Patterson came from outside Australia's original Test squad to make his debut against Sri Lanka after he scored back-to-back centuries for the A side against the same opposition.

With the senior tour and A games running concurrently, Bailey is hopeful bio-security protocols and recent political unrest in Sri Lanka won't prevent free movement of players between squads.

He added "there's every chance" players may be infected with COVID-19 during the tour, but said signs were positive that there would be greater flexibility to move players in and out of squads compared to recent years.

"It's our hope and desire that we do have some flexibility and that we can move around easily," he said.

"If that if that turns out to be not quite the case, then we'll make do and hopefully it'll be the next tour where we get back to that flexibility.

"But certainly, it's looking more promising than then some of the previous tours over the last 12-18-24 months."

Test specialists like Nathan Lyon and Usman Khawaja could also be late additions to the A squad in order for them to get some match practice ahead of the Tests given there will be no traditional tour matches leading into the five-day games.

"There's the opportunity for a number of the guys who are only in the Test squad to use those games … as a tour game in lieu of not having a specific tour game," Bailey said.

"But we'll work with those guys individually as to who needs that and who's comfortable just preparing in the nets over there.

"Likewise, there's an opportunity with a couple of the guys who are missing the T20 series might have the opportunity to play one of the (Australia A) one-day games in the lead-up to the ODIs as well. That's the flexibility we'll hopefully have on the ground."

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, 2022

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner, Matthew Wade

June 7: First T20, Colombo

June 8: Second T20, Colombo

June 11: Third T20, Kandy

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 14: First ODI, Kandy

June 16: Second ODI, Kandy

June 19: Third ODI, Colombo

June 21: Fourth ODI, Colombo

June 24: Fifth ODI, Colombo

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 29 - July 3: First Test, Galle

July 8-12: Second Test, Galle

Australia A fixtures

Squad: Sean Abbott, Scott Boland, Pete Handscomb, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Todd Murphy, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Jhye Richardson, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee

June 8: First one-day game, Colombo

June 10: Second one-day game, Colombo

June 14-17: First-class tour match Hambantota

June 21-24: First-class tour match, Hambantota