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Glenn Maxwell is the enigma of Australian cricket.
He first made his name with a 19-ball half-century in 2011, the fastest in Australian domestic one-day history.
Last year his 51-ball century at the SCG against Sri Lanka with ten fours and four sixes was Australia’s fastest in ODIs, and the second fastest in World Cup history behind Ireland’s Kevin O’Brien’s 50-ball ton with 13 fours and six sixes against England in 2011.
Those two digs have defined Maxwell’s lofty standing in Australian cricket
But it’s too much to live up to, it’s unrealistic.
Victorian teammate tagged Maxwell the ‘Big Show’ after his 19-ball half-century in 2011, and the tag came to haunt him.
It became more a case of the Big No Show as Maxwell tried so desperately hard to live up to the image.
Former Test captain Ricky Ponting has been calling for Maxwell’s return to Test cricket, where the last of his three caps was against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2014 where he scored 37 and 4.
But after five successive Test hidings, selectors went for Peter Handscomb with 410 Sheffield Shield runs at 68.33 with a top score of 215 this season, and Nic Maddinson’s 235 runs at 39.16 with a top score of 116.
Maxwell’s Shield stats were 129 at 25.80 with a top score of 81.
There was no way Maxwell was in line for selection.
Kevin Pietersen is one of England’s most successful Test batsmen, and when he returned from South Africa last week to find Maxwell wasn’t playing in the Boxing Day Test, he was gobsmacked.
“Maxwell is not only one of the best batsmen in Australia, he’s one of the world’s best. I’ve batted with him and he makes it look so easy,” was Pietersen’s glowing tribute.
Former Australian paceman Damien Fleming has become an excellent Big Bash commentator on Channel Ten, and has also thrown his public support behind Maxwell’s Test recall,
“We all know how good he is, he’s innovative, and he scores plenty of runs,” said Fleming.
But that’s the trouble, Glenn Maxwell doesn’t score enough runs, the currency for selection in any team.
The glaring truth is Maxwell is his own worst enemy, trying to be the entertainer instead of playing deliveries on their merits.
Give up the reverse sweeps, the ramps and any other exotic stroke-play that has such a small percentage of success.
Stick to using all his wonderful natural ability, and he will being doing Australian cricket, and himself, a huge favour.
The perfect example rests with his two Big Bash digs for the Melbourne Stars.
On Boxing Day, Maxwell thrashed a match-winning and unbeaten 58 off 29 with eight fours and a six for the Stars against the Hurricanes in Hobart.
Last night over 70,000 faithful turned up at the MCG to watch an all-Melbourne Bash clash between the Stars and the Renegades, but to watch Glenn Maxwell in particular.
Maxwell opened the batting, but was dismissed in the first over for just one run, comprehensively bowled after dancing down the pitch to part-time offie Tom Cooper.
Maxwell departed muttering at his rush of blood, and the big crowd felt cheated.
That’s Maxwell’s career summed up in two digs, and it’s a tragic waste of talent.
The future rests exclusively with Glenn Maxwell.