Hayden compares Maxwell to Ponting
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Australian batting powerhouse Matthew Hayden says there’s a little bit of Ricky Ponting in uncapped allrounder Glenn Maxwell.
Australia’s four-Test series against India starts in Chennai on February 22 at Chidambaram Stadium, where Hayden belted 203 in the first innings on his way to a 549-run series.
Hayden concedes Australia’s batting ranks will be stretched by the absence of retired greats Mike Hussey and Ponting, and he says their spinners might not be able to match the 37-wicket haul of Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann in England’s 2-1 series victory in December in India.
But the former world-record holder Hayden lavished high praise on uncapped allrounder Maxwell.
“There are some dark horses like Glenn Maxwell who reminds me a lot of a young Ricky Ponting,” Hayden said on Thursday.
“He has tremendous athletic ability and I think this tour will be a lot about developing a player like Maxwell for the future.”
Hayden also praised the run-scoring ability and fighting spirit of No.3 Phil Hughes.
Australia’s pace battery is shaping up well with Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc looking likely selections and James Pattinson, Mitchell Johnson and Jackson Bird potentially competing for the third fast-bowler’s role.
Australia could opt to play only two quicks plus two spinners and pace-bowling allrounder Moises Henriques, who claimed 4-12 in the two-day game against India Board XI which ended in a draw on Wednesday.
Bird finished with 0-10 from 10 tidy overs on Wednesday and Hayden says the Tasmanian quick, whose two-Test career has already yielded 11 wickets, is set for big things.
“Graeme Swann is a wonderful bowler and so is Panesar,” Hayden told the Times of India newspaper.
“Those two bowled really well in India.
“Australia (led by frontline slow bowlers Nathan Lyon and Xavier Doherty and backed up by spin-bowling allrounders Maxwell and Steve Smith) don’t have so much depth in their spin bowling.
“But the pace attack is very balanced. Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc are good bowlers, but be wary of Jackson Bird.
“He bowls fast and can reverse the ball and I won’t be surprised if he is a success story at the end of the series.”
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February 15th 2013 @ 7:38am
Richard said | February 15th 2013 @ 7:38am | Report comment
What is it with Maxwell, he seems to have the everyone mesmerized and in awe of him. Did he slip something into the water at a cricket australia lunch or something, its weird. And what is it with the real deal O’keefe, as far as cricket australia goes he smells no one even dares to utter his name it would appear. I would really like to know what is going on
February 15th 2013 @ 8:36am
Varun said | February 15th 2013 @ 8:36am | Report comment
Love Hayden, he is a legend of the game but he is way off the mark with this endorsement, if they think maxwell is so good then put him
In as I would rather get his failure out of the way before the ashes so we can have folks come in who can win the ashes such as khawaja and a proper all rounder such as McDonald
February 15th 2013 @ 10:03am
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Yeah, you don’t see the big-I-am, ‘good blokes’ talking up the likes of McDonald, do you? Despite the fact that he’s an infinitely more skilled and proven cricketer. No, talk, neither of “a bit of Ponting” in, say, Khawaja,
February 15th 2013 @ 12:11pm
Dean Woodward said | February 15th 2013 @ 12:11pm | Report comment
It seems that Maxwell must have some strong contacts with some influential people, his skill level doesn’t dictate such a comparison. Khawaja is not like Ponting but he is similar to Sangakara or Mr.Cricket, someone who can build a innings when the going is tough as seen from his 138 against Tasmania where the Tasmanians got 90 odd. Hayden should be tallking up Burns as he is a good talent. Seriously as good as Hayden was in his day he loses credibility with statements like these.
February 15th 2013 @ 2:42pm
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 2:42pm | Report comment
‘The Hayden Way.’
February 15th 2013 @ 1:44pm
Amith said | February 15th 2013 @ 1:44pm | Report comment
Khawaja should be at number 6 in the first test but he is not competing with Maxwell, its Henriques vs Maxwell and i think Henriques will win that battle.
February 15th 2013 @ 7:48am
Brandon Marlow said | February 15th 2013 @ 7:48am | Report comment
What is this blasphemy?
All Glenn Maxwell is, is a cow-corner slogger. I hope Hayden was comparing Maxwell’s bowling talents to Ponting’s and not their batting talents.
February 15th 2013 @ 9:28am
Brendon said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:28am | Report comment
He looks a bit like him and fields a bit like him, and bats a bit like him (If you’re talking about the last test series against SA that is). I don’t get where these comparisions come from, the guy can’t play a proper cricket shot.
February 15th 2013 @ 2:31pm
Ryan O'Connell said | February 15th 2013 @ 2:31pm | Report comment
Two arms, two legs and a head.
Here endeth thy comparison.
February 15th 2013 @ 7:54am
Sam Brown said | February 15th 2013 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Maybe he means that Maxwell will get a string of ducks and single figure scores through the tour and will be lucky to still be in the team by the end of it…..
February 15th 2013 @ 10:04am
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Zing.
February 15th 2013 @ 8:31am
Tony Tea said | February 15th 2013 @ 8:31am | Report comment
Nothing wrong with that. Ponting is an all-time great – Maxwell is not. There’s your comparison right there.
February 15th 2013 @ 8:43am
Red Kev said | February 15th 2013 @ 8:43am | Report comment
“…Glenn Maxwell who reminds me a lot of a young Ricky Ponting…”
Maxwell reminds me of Ponting when he was young too – an arrogant knob who got into needless fights and had too big an ego. The difference is Ponting (a) had once in a generation talent and (b) matured – Maxwell presents no hints of either of those.
February 15th 2013 @ 10:04am
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 10:04am | Report comment
Indeed.
February 15th 2013 @ 8:56am
Christo the Daddyo said | February 15th 2013 @ 8:56am | Report comment
Hayden only said Maxwell had “tremendous athletic ability”. There was nothing about any cricketing ability.
Fair call Haydos.
February 15th 2013 @ 9:25am
JohnB said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:25am | Report comment
I think that’s being kind to Hayden. He may not have used the words “cricket ability” but the implication if you are comparing 2 cricketers is that that is what you are talking about, and the onus is on you to make it clear if that is not what you are doing. The comment that he has “tremendous athletic ability” is an additional one, rather than the only comparison being made.
Having said that, I also think it’s only fair to say that most of us have only seen Maxwell play in limited overs games where his job has been to come in and start swinging from the outset. He’s done that effectively enough at times, but in a very unorthodox (to put it kindly) way. However, the fact that that’s all we’ve seen from him doesn’t necessarily mean he can’t play in a more technically sound way when playing in a different context.
February 15th 2013 @ 9:33am
Brendon said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:33am | Report comment
I don’t think you need to be completely un-technical when chasing quick runs, the batsmen that want to belt the ball to all parts (which is fine) need to watch a couple of Gilchrist’ or Jayasuria’ innings, no need for the clown slogs being played currently.
Goes to show what a joke the IPL is as they reward this type of cricket.
February 15th 2013 @ 12:15pm
Dean Woodward said | February 15th 2013 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
IPL folks are usually very astute with thier purchases. Finch would have been a good purchase for 200 even though he is not in the best of forms. Hughes and Khawaja at 100 grant were good purches(though i know Khawaja didn’t put himself forward so he can focus on county cricket in preperation for the ashes and good on him for that). But 1 million for Maxwell was perhaps the worst purchase i have seen in the IPL
February 16th 2013 @ 10:55am
lolly said | February 16th 2013 @ 10:55am | Report comment
Finch has played in the IPL and been absolutely awful against spin. He’s lucky to get a contract if he has managed to scramble one.
February 15th 2013 @ 9:15am
josh said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:15am | Report comment
And ESPN compared his batting to Pietersen. From what I saw his slog-a-thon 50 was more reminiscent of Stuart MacGill’s swipes at number 11. His wide leg stance, horizontal bat was all MacGill.
February 15th 2013 @ 10:05am
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 10:05am | Report comment
Ashley Mallet seems to have developed a massive crush on Maxwell. His article on Cricinfo is ridiculous.
February 15th 2013 @ 12:16pm
Dean Woodward said | February 15th 2013 @ 12:16pm | Report comment
Ashley Mallett has lost all credibility with this article, perhaps its James Brashaw who influenced these comments.
February 15th 2013 @ 9:18am
Big Merv's Jockstrap said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Ponting is to Maxwell as Haydos is to Warner.
Proven Legends vs Unproven Flavour-of-the-Month players
PS. I heartily endorse the comments by Red Kev above (8.43am)
February 15th 2013 @ 2:22pm
matt h said | February 15th 2013 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
Well at least warner has scored a few of hundreds at international level. Maxwell could only dream of that
February 15th 2013 @ 9:30am
Frankie Hughes said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:30am | Report comment
I wonder if Maxwell is sharing his IPL riches with the legends of yesteryear?
A nice wedge of cash for a positive endorsement…
(Sarcasm unless anyone thinks I’m being serious)
February 15th 2013 @ 9:53am
Nick Inatey said | February 15th 2013 @ 9:53am | Report comment
It’s entirely feasible actually. Even idiots like Hayden couldn’t possibly think that Maxwell is talented unless they are in a cash-for-comments situation.
February 15th 2013 @ 10:01am
Disco said | February 15th 2013 @ 10:01am | Report comment
Hayden talking rubbish as per usual.