I like watching Glenn Maxwell play cricket.
I can’t really put a finger on why because, let’s be honest now, there are plenty of cricketers out there with the ability to perform that far outweighs that displayed by the maverick allrounder.
But, nevertheless, he’s provided plenty of entertainment for this particular viewer.
It could be his devil-may-care attitude to batting, which is seemingly based on nothing that resembles rational thought.
Perhaps it’s his off-spin, which is a pale shadow of the stuff served up by even someone like, say, Moeen Ali, but always looks like getting some poor unsuspecting soul out.
Or maybe it’s his fielding, which generally borders on the electric and is never run of the mill.
His imperfections add to the spectacle, as he’s never far away from doing something outlandishly good or devastatingly appalling.
The right shot at the wrong time, which sends the ball to an obscure part of the boundary; the wrong shot at the right time, which leads to a chance to utilize the hot water before anyone else; a catch out of nowhere that most wouldn’t attempt – let alone pull off – and so on.
If you do it, do it colourfully; this is Maxwell to a tee. (Click to Tweet)
And this brings me to his latest effort, the explosive 145 from a meagre 65 deliveries in Australia’s thumping defeat of Sri Lanka in Pallekele in the first T20 international.
T20 cricket throws up the odd performance which makes you double take – they’ve probably become too prevalent, but that’s sporting evolution for you – yet this was outrageous even by the standards of the modern-day game.
Given that the man himself had disappeared from the scene and was not even considered for the preceding ODI series only served to make his matchwinning innings all the more eye-catching.
It could be that Australia have found an answer to the conundrum of how best to utilize Maxwell by default. Would he have opened had Aaron Finch, no slouch himself, been available? Probably not, but one man’s misfortune is another’s stroke of good luck, and the gift-wrapped opening has been jumped into with both feet.
Even if Finch’s return, whenever that may be, results in Maxwell being demoted from the opening position, the Australian hierarchy would be foolish to use him anywhere else but at first wicket down.
His gung-ho method will always mean he veers, even on a day-to-day basis, between man of the match and walking-wicket material. But if those doing the selecting are prepared to see him for what he is, then certainly in T20 he has to be on the teamsheet.
It might need a slightly better run of form for the same principle to be applied to the 50-over format, but the way the game is going – especially on the faster scoring grounds of home – his inclusion is worth debating.
A more conservative and pragmatic approach wins games when the pitch demands it, but in the age of 350-plus scores a looser style has its place, and in Maxwell there are few looser.
That should mean his talk of returning to the Test match fray is taken with a healthy pinch of salt – does anybody really want to see a reckless reverse sweep five minutes after coming to the crease with the team in a struggling position?
But when the clothes are coloured and the ball is white, get him involved.
Consistency will never be Glenn Maxwell’s calling card, but consistency is overrated. Isn’t it?
Joel
Roar Rookie
How is that mentality any worse than what Khawaja achieved in Sri Lanka.. or any of the aussies for that matter. The same should be said of that series in the UAE that you're referring to. Look at Maxwell's FC record in Australia and his record in the UK as well and what you will see is he gets better the more innings he plays in a row. A couple of innings when he was brought into an already failing team should not dictate his career.
Joel
Roar Rookie
what Maxwell's FC averages don't show you is the situations he was in when he scored those runs. He has rescued Victoria from embarrassing totals a few times by scoring quickly when the rest of the team has collapsed around him and his centuries were scored on a green demon of a pitch.
Joel
Roar Rookie
as per usual
Craig Swanson
Guest
Bush. The problem is between his ears. Yes he has a decent FC average which suggests he does not always tee off. But cast your mind back to his last of 3 test. Comes in at the crucial first drop and then proceeds to try to reverse sweep a ball that he should have played a full face to. He got the sum total of 3 runs. That is his mindset. It is in his DNA.. Nic Maddinson has the same mindset. Both are extremely gifted strokemakers.. but patience is their main enemy.
Craig Swanson
Guest
Totally agree Alex. Keep Maxie for the razzle dazzle that is T20. Honestly he can do no harm playing in this format.. yet provides great entertainment when on song.
Paul D
Roar Guru
I agree on Henriques, he shouldn't be in the Australian side. Mentally not up to it
The Bush
Roar Guru
Sorry Fox, you're right, he has. But lets look at them: 3 against Sri Lanka (2 of them at home). As discussed, they're not much of a side if we're being honest. 1 Afghanistan (in Australia) 1 England (in Australia) 1 India (In Australia) 1 South Africa (in the West Indies). So he's never scored an ODI Century in India, South Africa or New Zealand, the other dominant ODI sides. In fact he's only scored 2 over seas ever, the last one the most recent century. You rubbish Maxwell as being some home town bully or flat track maniac, yet David Warner is the king of home track bullies. Maxwell bats in the lower order, he's not meant to score centuries. How many do you think Steve Waugh scored? Maxwell's job is to raise the strike rate and he does that like no other player on the planet. No one in modern ODI cricket has played this many games with an average over 33 and a strike rate over 120. And he bowls...
Fox
Roar Guru
Hi the Bush - Warner has actually made 7 ODI cenruries
The Bush
Roar Guru
Henriques is a plodder. He should never be selected for Australia ever again. As others have mentioned, Maxwell has been a key member of the Vic side and has a perfectly acceptable FC batting record. It is certainly as good as any of the other guys being mentioned for middle order spots. The thing for Maxwell is he needs to make a choice - cut down on his T20 and ODI commitments and play more FC cricket and push for a spot or potentially miss out. He simply doesn't play enough red ball cricket at the moment due to his other commitments.
The Bush
Roar Guru
If anyone actually watched Maxwell play FC cricket, they'd see his game is different. He still scores quickly, sure, but so does Warner and no one questions his continued selection in Test Cricket. Anyone that doesn't think Maxwell isn't batting exactly as ordered by the team and coaches when he comes in at No 5/6 for Australia with 15 overs to go and tees off is, frankly, a moron. Finch, Warner, Khawaja, Smith and S Marsh are the top order batsmen who are meant to build the innings and score centuries. Maxi's role is to take a likely score of 300 and turn it into 350 plus. It's also Faulkner, M Marsh and (theoretically) Wade's job to do this too. No one seems to bat an eyelid when Faulkner starts tonking, but Maxi does a reverse sweep and everyone loses their minds. It's not going to work everyone time. It's not even going to work consistently. But he does it far more consistently than anyone else can and that, combined with his bowling and fielding makes him a very special ODI player.
Annoyedofit
Guest
Seems these people like to make things up as they go. Maxwell may be inconsistent but nowhere near as bad as he's made out. I'd rather see him in the ODI team than Khawaja or Henriques. His FC record is 1 of the better going around
Annoyedofit
Guest
Yes, because dropping the spinner with over 200 wickets s always a great idea
Derek Murray
Roar Rookie
The Bush aside, this is the closest thing to a comment (including the author) that actually looks at what Maxwell brings to a FC side. His record for Vic is well above average (at times he was the only thing keeping them from losing in 2 days). His skill is in the quality of his eye and so the technique will need to get tighter as he gets older but the same can be said of our two best test players, Smith and Warner. That he is a thrill a minute, totally unselfish team player in ODI and T20 doesn't mean there is a serious talent for all cricket in there. Disappointing that an expert sees only what he wants to see when creating a narrative.
AlanKC
Guest
Maxwell is, unless he can quickly find a way to quell his rushes of blood, already being passed by a younger generation as far as Test cricket is concerned.
The Bush
Roar Guru
The 2016 ODI Player of the Year for the World's No 1 ranked ODI side isn't good enough for ODI cricket? Geez people have double standards. Warner is an opener, has played nearly 80 games and yet only has 5 ODI centuries, 3 of them against Sri Lanka (who to be frank, are a seriously average side). Yet no one seems to question his continued selection in the format. In fact he even gets to captain...
The Bush
Roar Guru
Wade gave him the name. Brayshaw just ruined it for everyone.
The Bush
Roar Guru
Have you ever watched him play FC cricket? His record is as good as any batsman outside the test line up.
Fox
Roar Guru
Maxwell does n't have the temperament or technique to be anything consistently special in the longer versions of the game and he is not a good enough bowler even for 10 overs in ODI cricket most of the time. His niche is the smash and grab, anything goes nonsense that is T20 cricket. That's why people love it because it the fast and furious form of the game. The only 100 Maxwell has made in 61 ODI innings is against a second tier nation at the recent WC. That isn't a great record batting where he does after 61 innings I have never really rated him as a player because he has too many flaws in his technique. The way I look at it is if T20 was not invented where would he sit in the pecking order of world cricket? But when he is "on" against some pretty rubbish bowling on a flat track like he was the other night it needs to be said, he can be exciting to watch but then so too can many players of similar ilk in those conditions. Bit that is why they are who they are inthe game I guess. T20 is Maxwell's niche and that is where he should stay internationally and make the big bucks across the globe while he can and good luck to him. But his consistency is pretty ordinary otherwise and calling him the "Big Show" is a bit lame when most of the time Maxwell is a no show - the other night was one of those rare occasions.
jameswm
Roar Guru
Ha ha, great call!
OJP
Guest
'James Brayshaw is the one to blame' Indeed Mango Jack, I would go even further and assert that this is a pretty solid default position for most issues / problems we face in Australian Sport today.