Glenn Maxwell on scheduling of Australian summer: The Australian all-rounder has criticized the mixing and matching of formats.
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Hard-hitting Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has lashed out on the officials for ‘mixing and matching’ formats this Australian summer, citing it to be ‘frustrating’ for players.
The recently-concluded three-match ODI series against South Africa commenced the Australian summer. Australia are scheduled to play four T20Is (one vs South Africa, three vs India) now which will be followed by four Tests and three ODIs against India. Between all this is the ongoing season of Sheffield season.
While most of the contemporary cricketers are habitual about playing across formats, Maxwell’s comments have come as a rarity for a cricketer of today’s day and age.
“I think it’s a very broken sort of start to the season,” Maxwell was quoted as saying to SEN Radio. “You’re getting flown here, there and everywhere and changing formats, and then as soon as these four T20s are done you’re back into Shield cricket and trying to put your name up for Test selection again. It’s been interesting. I’ve probably been working on different things to what I had been during the JLT Cup period.
“Having come straight into the T20s over in Dubai, working on a lot of power hitting and trying to clear the rope, and started to make some inroads there, then getting back into the one-day stuff I went back to technique stuff and was working on that.
“Then all of a sudden we’re back in the T20 stuff. As you feel like you’re about to make breakthroughs and starting to work it out, you’re changing format again and change position in the team. So that can be very frustrating and opportunity and the game situation probably drives how you play as well. So it’s been a little bit frustrating, and not winning consistently is quite frustrating also.”
Maxwell was hopeful of earning a call-up to the Test team for the series against Pakistan in UAE. With that not happening, he traveled to UAE to play the three-match T20I series. Maxwell’s further opined that things become all the more harder for a middle-order batsman like him.
“I think it’s a lot harder as a lower middle-order batter when you’re not sure what situation you’re going to come out on during the game and you’re not really sure how to prepare for the game as well, there’s only so much technique stuff you can do when you go out there and you have to chase 12 an over against guys bowling good yorkers, high bouncers and different changeups. If all you’ve been working on is your cover drive and straight drive, it’s going to be difficult to get a positive result,” he said.
30-year old Maxwell admitted to not being among the runs that the team expects from someone of his potential. Most recently, Australian ODI captain Aaron Finch had issued a statement regarding Maxwell not doing enough to play as a specialist batsman in the team. Citing Maxwell’s lean patch as the reason, Finch further said that he needs to contribute with the ball to play at No. 7 as an all-rounder.
On being asked about the same, Maxwell laid emphasis on contributing to the team irrespective of the format. “I need to be bowling, I need to be contributing to the team somehow. You’re not always going to be gift wrapped positions in that top order with the numbers I have. I’ve just got to make sure whatever format I am playing in, whether it be this T20 series or Shield cricket when I go back, I’ve got to keep working and making big scores and making the most of any opportunity,” Maxwell concluded.
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