The Big Show needs a change of state, but New South Wales isn't the answer

You can say many things about Glenn Maxwell, but one thing you can never accuse him of is being unambitious.

He’s not content with remaining a mere limited-overs superstar and bludger of state bowling attacks. He wants a spot in the Test side. And he wants it badly enough to openly criticise his Victorian captain, Matthew Wade, for batting him too low in the order to achieve this goal.

And he’s not content either with only remaining a Test option on the subcontinent, where his part-time spin bowling elevates him above other domestic batsmen of similar calibre. He thought he was a chance to play in the Adelaide Test against South Africa and was openly disappointed when Nic Maddinson was given the vacant number six spot.

In venting his frustration he upset the establishment, both in the Victorian and national hierarchy, and now finds himself relegated him to the outskirts of the one-day side, although captain Steve Smith says his non-selection against New Zealand is not related to his comments.

If anyone in Australian cricket needs a change of scenery now, it is Glenn Maxwell. A fresh start would do him the world of good.

As far as talents go, you’d be hard-pressed to find many in this country with more natural cricketing gifts than ‘The Big Show’. The vast array of weird and wonderful shots he has at his disposal, and the supreme confidence it takes to use them all at the highest level, are almost unique to him among Australian cricketers.

But at the moment, he’s out of both favour and form. He’s struggled so far in the Sheffield Shield, averaging just over 25 with the bat. For all his comments about his position in the batting order, the fact remains that in his most recent Shield game, batting at four, he managed just 6 and 29.

Also not helping his case is that fact that Cameron White, batting one position lower than Maxwell at seven, has been racking up truckloads of runs. You could even make the argument that Maxwell, even if he should be batting above Wade, should be batting below White anyway.

Earlier this year, Maxwell made a last-ditch effort to transfer from Victoria to New South Wales so as to improve his chances of returning to both the one-day and Test sides, outside the regular transfer period. The proposal was rejected. He needs to move heaven and earth to ensure he gets in before the deadline ends this off-season, or the future will just be more of the same for him.

New South Wales probably isn’t the right option, either. Yes, it will put him directly under the selectors’ noses for a potential Test call-ups. But the Blues have a very strong side, even with David Warner and Smith rarely available.

He’d be competing with the likes of Kurtis Patterson, Nic Maddinson and another captain in Moises Henriques for middle-order spots. If he’s serious in his belief that his Test ambitions have been hampered by batting at six for Victoria, moving one state north doesn’t really make a lot of sense.

Queensland seems a far more viable option. They’ve had their struggles in the batting department this season, three times being bundled out for under 200 in an innings. With Usman Khawaja and Matt Renshaw set to be there or thereabouts in the Test side, there’s also a definite opening for Maxwell to assert his own case by batting up the order, ahead of youngsters like Marnus Labuschagne and Sam Heazlett.

The Bulls’ resident spin-bowling all-rounder Jason Floros averages just 28 with the bat and 40 with the ball in his Shield career, indicating he’s probably not quite up to the level. And with regular captain Khawaja entrenched in the Test team and deputy Chris Hartley nearing the end of his career, there’s also a definite opportunity for Maxwell to stamp himself as a leader in a relatively youthful team.

There is no doubting Maxwell needs a change of scenery if his undisputed talents are ever going to earn him a regular place in the Test team. And the Sunshine State may be the ideal place for him to achieving just that.