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.”
Robert
Guest
I don't really understand all the hate directed towards Maxwell, if smarter people than I and many others think he can play, then let him play! If he gets the chance, he'll either fail or succeed....let him be...one thing is for sure, he has some mongrel in him and that is one quality this team needs badly!
lolly
Guest
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.
Brendon
Guest
I don't think people hate him, he does present himself as a bit of a knob though
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
Nowhere does it state that you have to be smart to be an athlete. As time goes on, retired athletes seem to reinforce this mantra.
Richard
Guest
I guess it all boils down to clutching at straws. If you don't have obvious candidates then suck it and see. Thats where we are at!
AndyMack
Guest
In fairness to Hayden, he said "a young ricky ponting". So punter at 9 years old is prob fair.....
AndyMack
Guest
well said.
AndyMack
Guest
we did it with cowan, and we seem hell bent on doing it with Bailey one day, and will prob do it with Henriques if not maxwell.... (not saying i agree with it by the way...)
Renegade
Guest
I have to say i don't think Maxwell is a good enough player to at this stage to be playing for Australia, i'm also dumbfounded that he is in India for the test series and certainly don''t believe there is any comparison with Ricky Ponting...In fact i find that as an insult towards Punter. That being said there are a lot of people wishing for the likes of Maxwell, Cowan, etc to fail so their personal favourites can get in the team. It's very un-australian...in fact all the hate sent towards Maxwell from the public has almost placed an underdog status on him. Whichever 11 get picked, as long as we win....I don't really care who plays.
Guy
Guest
Hayden is by fair the greatest Australian opener I have watched in the last 50 years.
Richard
Guest
Admittedly Maxwell does have Pontings energy in the close in field, but that is where the comparison ends. I hope he succeeds if and when he gets a run , but I don't like his chances.
Richard
Guest
You make a judgement on a guy before they play test cricket . You don't just throw them in for the hell of it. His record just deosn't stack up. Maybe the selectors have seen someone I haven't, that is quite likely. But from what I have seen he is the worst kind of slogger and pretty ordinary spinner. Admittedly he is a Ponting style fielder but that is where the comparison ends. I just don't see what possible use he could have in our test team at the moment. But I could be wrong.
langou
Roar Guru
Richard, Have you ever seen the bloke play first class cricket ? Have you ever seen him play test cricket? I would be surprised if you answered yes to the first question and I am 100% confident you won’t answer yes to the second question Your basing you opinion on a handful of OD1 and T20 matches I have no idea what he has done to deserve selection because I have never seen him play before.
Richard
Guest
Amazed by what? Precisely what has he done to deserve selection in the test team other than be TV friendly and have friends in high places? Answer=nothing. No one hates the guy, but we are peed off that there are so many other candidates with better test match credentials who are missing out. If the guy proves me wrong I will be the first to applaud.
Julian
Guest
Seriously Roarers, in the words of Kevin Rudd, everyone needs to take a cold shower on this. So Maxwell reminds Hayden of a young Ricky Ponting. Outrageous! I'm certainly not a Maxwell supporter. Indeed he wouldn't be in my test team, but I would never wish someone representing my country to fail.
Disco
Roar Guru
'The Hayden Way.'
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Two arms, two legs and a head. Here endeth thy comparison.
matt h
Guest
Well at least warner has scored a few of hundreds at international level. Maxwell could only dream of that
langou
Roar Guru
I’m just amazed at the extent to which people are critical of his inclusion in the test squad when you consider he has yet to play a Test Match and no more than a few hundred would have seen him play shield cricket.
langou
Roar Guru
I’m just amazed at the extent to which people are critical of his inclusion in the test squad when you consider he has yet to play a Test Match and no more than a few hundred would have seen him play shield cricket.