Glenn Maxwell cops brutal new blow as David Warner slaps down Hurricanes hero Mitch Owen

Warner has scoffed at calls for Hobart hero Owen to be fast-tracked into international cricket.

Time is running out for Glenn Maxwell to break one of the most astonishing droughts in T20 cricket after his Melbourne Stars came up short again in this season's BBL tournament. And David Warner has brushed off calls for the Hobart Hurricanes' title-winning hero Mitch Owen being fast-tracked into Australia's white-ball side.

Owen has been celebrating his record-equalling century that guided the Hurricanes to their first ever BBL title, leaving Maxwell's Melbourne Stars as the only franchise yet to win a trophy in Australia's domestic T20 competition. Maxwell is one of Australia's greatest T20 cricketers and has played for the Stars since 2012 but is still yet to win the BBL title after years of heartache.

Pictured left to right, Glenn Maxwell, Mitch Owen and David Warner.
Glenn Maxwell's (L) Stars are the only BBL franchise yet to win a title, while David Warner (R) has brushed off suggestions Hobart hero Mitch Owen (centre) should earn a call-up to Australia's T20 side. Pic: Getty

The Stars finally snapped their long run of missing out on the playoffs this season but were knocked out in the grand final qualifier by eventual runners-up, Sydney Thunder. It meant Maxwell's wait to finally lift some silverware with the Stars continues, with the 36-year-old also staring down the barrel of another unwanted record.

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Maxwell has been a superstar in the Indian Premier League for more than a decade but three of the teams he's represented over the years are also still yet to win a title. The Aussie's former side Royal Challengers Bengaluru hold the record for playing the most number of IPL finals (3) without winning a trophy and two of his other former teams, the Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals have still never lifted any silverware after playing in every IPL season.

Owen almost singlehandedly snapped Hobart's own title drought in extraordinary scenes during Monday night's BBL decider, with a match-winning 108 off just 42 balls. The incredible knock included 11 sixes and saw the Hurricanes opener set the equal-fastest ton in the competition's history, with Aussie legend Ricky Ponting among those to describe Owen's elevation to the Australia squad ahead of next year's T20 World Cup as "inevitable".

"There's not many players in the world that can do that," Ponting - who helped mastermind Owen's move to opener - said after his heroics in the final. "He's done it pretty consistently through the tournament ... some of his 30s and 40s that he's got have actually won and set up games for the Hurricanes. And then he ended up getting a hundred in 30-odd balls and the game's over."

Seen here, Hobart Hurricanes BBL star Mitch Owen.
Mitch Owen's record-equalling knock helped the Hobart Hurricanes claim their first ever BBL title. Pic: Getty

Hobart teammate and 2021 T20 World Cup winner Matthew Wade agreed Owen "would be there or thereabouts" when it came to squad selection for the 2026 tournament. But Aussie great and Sydney Thunder captain Warner hosed down the excitement around the Hurricanes star and said talk of him playing for Australia was a bit premature, despite admitting Owen was the reason his side lost the BBL final. "We got beat by one player tonight, plain and simple," Warner said.

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But the veteran stopped short of declaring Owen deserved a spot in Australia'S T20 squad. "No, no. You've got the guys that are there at the moment," Warner said about Owen's potential selection for Australia. "You can earn your stripes ... we can't be just picking blokes and chopping and changing when the guys that are there have won World Cups."

Owen's task of breaking into Australia's T20 top order is a difficult one, with Travis Head, Matt Short, Jake Fraser-McGurk and skipper Mitch Marsh laying claims on those spots. Steve Smith is another batter that will have designs of earning a recall after overlooked for Australia's disappointing T20 World Cup campaign, with the veteran showing brilliant late-career form in T20 cricket with the Sydney Sixers.

with AAP