McCullum's concern over Lynn's ODI return

Brisbane Heat skipper Brendon McCullum believes Chris Lynn's recall to Australia's one-day side is premature, expressing concerns over the six-hitting sensation's physical limitations.

Lynn was a surprise selection for this month's five-match Gillette ODI series against England, pipping Glenn Maxwell for a berth in the 14-player squad.

The KFC Big Bash League star is one of the most feared limited-overs batsmen on the planet, but the Heat have been forced to hide him in the field this season as he continues to recover from an earlier-than-expected return from shoulder surgery.

Lynn has been stashed away in low-traffic areas of the field and has been restricted to underarms and throwing with his non-dominant right-hand. It's a move that's undoubtedly paid off for Brisbane with the right-hander unhindered at the batting crease, pummelling 127 runs in four hits at a strike-rate of 163.

Australia have opted to roll the same dice on Lynn in the longer of the white-ball formats and McCullum revealed he has reservations over the selection, expressing a preference to hold him back until February's T20 tri-series involving New Zealand and England.

"Personally, I would have liked to have seen him being kept until the T20s," McCullum told Channel Ten on Sunday.

"Then they can introduce him and get him back into the fold. 

"But you'd never turn the opportunity to play for his country and I know 'Lynny' was very excited about it."

Lynn himself had initially laughed off suggestions he might earn an ODI recall so soon into on the comeback trail from his third bout of surgery in two years on his troublesome shoulder.

"I kind of wrote my chances of playing for Australia off this season, just due to the shoulder recon, so to get the call-up again is very exciting," the 27-year-old said earlier this week.

"I know there's a good opportunity there to really cement a spot and there's an opportunity there for me to be a long-term player in the green and gold."

National selectors however appear confident Lynn can handle the rigours of international cricket.

"Chris Lynn, who is now back playing once more after the shoulder injury that hampered him when we picked him against Pakistan in this format 12 months ago," chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said in announcing the squad.

"He has been one of the most feared players at domestic level in limited-overs cricket in the past couple of years and we want to see if he can convert that domestic form to the international stage."

It remains to be seen whether Australia will be able to hide Lynn in the field for a full 50 overs like McCullum has at the Heat.

His recovering shoulder remains fragile and Lynn also had a hamstring complaint earlier in the tournament while he's currently awaiting the results of precautionary scans on a tight calf.

"Unfortunately at the moment he does have his limitations from a body point of view," McCullum said.

"It's just a matter of looking after him and protecting him in the field. He'll win you games with the bat."

Lynn's selection has been overshadowed somewhat by the omission of Glenn Maxwell, with selectors pointing to below-par returns from his last 20 ODIs while captain Steve Smith suggested the Victorian's training standards could be improved.

A disappointed Maxwell told cricket.com.au on Saturday that he hopes to change perceptions about him within Australian cricket.

McCullum suggested the comments were off-the-cuff but advised Smith, renowned as one of the hardest trainers in international cricket, that he might need to scale back his expectations of his teammates in order to take the next step with his leadership. 

"I don't necessarily think Steve Smith went into that prepared for that question and to comment on it," McCullum said of Smith's suggestion Maxwell could "train a little bit smarter" 

"I don't necessarily think he was trying to have a pop at Glenn Maxwell by any stretch. 

"Steve Smith, the advice for him – he is such an amazing player that sometimes you lose a little bit of the understanding that other guys maybe can't do or don't do the same things as what you do. 

"That's the next stage of the Australian captain's development. 

"He's doing a wonderful job at the moment at leading from the front. I'm sure as he matures, he'll bring more out of those guys as well."