Glenn Maxwell has been struggling with form this season, but Josh Hazlewood has backed him to do well in the T20 World Cup.
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The T20 World Cup is on the horizon, and every team is trying its best to do well in the coveted tournament. Australia are the defending champions, and the eyeballs will be on them in their home conditions. Ahead of the tournament, they lost the series against England.
The all-rounders are the biggest strength of the Australian side, and Glenn Maxwell has been their main man with both bat and the ball. However, the form of Maxwell has not been great this season. In T20Is, Maxwell has played 14 matches in 2022, where he has scored 189 runs at 15.75. He has a terrible strike-rate of 115.24.
Apart from T20Is, Maxwell was disappointed in the IPL as well for the Royal Challengers Bangalore as well this season. He scored 301 runs at an average of 27.36 with just one half-century. Although, he had a brilliant strike-rate of 169.10.
Josh Hazlewood backs RCB teammate Glenn Maxwell
Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood has said that he has no doubt about the quality of Maxwell, and he is very close to winning the game for Australia. Hazlewood insists that played with Maxwell in the IPL with the Royal Challengers Bangalore and he is outstanding in all three aspects of the game.
“I’ve played a lot with Glenn lately, in particular at RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and obviously the Australian team, but all three aspects of the game he’s outstanding,” Hazlewood told reporters.
“He’s just that close to winning a game for us off his own bat or the ball or in the field. So he’s a key part of our team and just adds that balance beautifully.”
Glenn Maxwell’s last eight T20I innings: 19, 16, 1, 0, 6, 0, 1, 8 #AUSvENG
— Andrew McGlashan (@andymcg_cricket) October 12, 2022
Hazlewood believes that they don’t want Maxwell to switch from his natural attacking play. He said that Maxwell is the kind of player who plays according to his own game, and this is the way Maxi always performs for the side. Hazlewood highlighted the strength of Maxwell against spin in the middle overs.
“You don’t want him going away from his natural instinct either. He’s the sort of a player that just reacts to what’s coming and plays his game” Hazlewood added.
The all-round trio of Mitch Marsh, Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis is very important for the balance of the Australian side. With the arrival of Tim David at the lower order, the three all-rounders will have that luxury to play their natural bit of game.
