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It will be interesting to see if Glenn Maxwell can rejuvenate himself after being dropped from the 15-man Australian ODI squad for Sri Lanka.
The 27-year-old is, without doubt, one of the most naturally gifted in world cricket.
But he’s his own worst enemy.
Far too often he falls to hero shots rather than playing each delivery on its merits.
That’s led to his last seven ODI digs of 0, 6, 0, 0, 3, 46*, and 4 – just 59 runs at a forgettable average of 9.83.
Rod Marsh, the chairman of the Australian selection panel, has had enough.
“If you want to play for Australia you should be consistent – if you are a batsman you should get consistent runs.
“As far as I’m concerned, he has had a lot of chances. It’s got to the stage we couldn’t go on any longer.
“Glenn has too many games when he doesn’t contribute with the bat.”
What a waste of talent, and at 27 he’s fast running out of time.
Also at risk is his IPL contract with Kings X1 Punjab, worth $1.24 million.
In the last tournament, Maxwell’s batting was very ordinary, even by his standards.
In 11 matches, he scored only 179 runs at 19.88, with a strike rate of 144.35, and bowled just 54 deliveries in taking 0-80.
On those stats, and now being dropped by Australia, there won’t be a $1.24 million contract on offer next year.
So the equation is very simple, shape up or ship out.
He is the only one who can change from a smart arse attitude to being a responsible cricketer. He owes it to himself, and his country.
He’s always one of the best fieldsmen on the park, and while I can never rate his offies, he is there if captain Steve Smith needs some variation.
So no Glenn Maxwell for Sri Lanka, but Moises Henriques instead due to his consistency.
There’s only one selection that’s difficult to understand with keeper Matthew Wade instead of Peter Nevill whose glove work is far superior.
Sure, Wade is potentially the more dynamic batsman, but only when he fires, which he’s doing only at a slighter better rate than Maxwell.
The Australian squad:
Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Aaron Finch, Usman Khawaja, George Bailey, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Moises Henriques, James Faulkner, Matthew Wade, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, and Adam Zampa.