Cricket News: Waugh says Maxwell 'under pressure' as slump worsens, Malan flexible about spot

Glenn Maxwell is under pressure to start performing with just one more match before the T20 World Cup to get out of his worrying form slump.

The white-ball specialist was again dismissed cheaply in Australia’s second straight loss to England, at Canberra on Wednesday night, and with Friday’s game against the same opponents at the same venue the host nation’s last hit-out before the World Cup, time is running out.

Aaron Finch, who returned to his usual opening slot in the eight-run loss, said the XI which played at Manuka Oval was probably their first-choice side but Fox Cricket commentator Mark Waugh said Maxwell’s run of outs was “a real worry” and he was no longer the lock to be selected that he once was.

Maxwell, who also dropped a catch during England’s innings, has averaged just 18.5, 17.44 and 15.75 in the past three calendar years in T20 internationals and his strike rate is in the 130s, well down from his peak season of 183.33 in 2019.

CLICK HERE for a seven-day free trial to watch cricket on KAYO

He’s made just 189 runs from 13 innings this year at a strike rate of 115.24 with a top score of 48 not out while, still viewed as the X-factor of the Australian batting card, he has made just 16 runs in his past six innings at a tame average of 2.7.

Maxwell was elevated to No.4 at Manuka and had plenty of time to build an innings but departed for eight off 11 when he top-edged a pull shot off Sam Curran.

When asked if that side was his best XI heading into the World Cup against New Zealand next week at the SCG, Finch said: “It depends on the opposition. You mix and match and try and find the best match-ups but it’d be close.

“There’d be debate about one of two spots.”

Steve Smith was left out of the team in Canberra and he now appears unlikely to get a start unless the selectors drop Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Marcus Stoinis or Tim David from the middle order.

(Photo by Chris Hyde – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

David (40 off 23 balls) again showed off his impressive power, smacking five fours and a six in his innings while Marsh and Stoinis added 40 runs together and the former pushed on to make a team-high 45, but they could never wrangle the ascendancy.

Waugh said Finch and Maxwell “are the two guys who are struggling the most” with their pre-World Cup form but thought Australia would stick with them for the opening clash with the Black Caps.

“Maxwell’s the one under most pressure at this stage.”

Fast bowler Josh Hazlewood on Thursday backed Maxwell to hit his straps soon.

“I’ve played a lot with Glenn lately, particularly (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and obviously the Australian team, all three aspects of the game he’s outstanding,” he told reporters. “He’s just that close to winning a game for us off his own bat or the ball, or in the field.

“He’s a key part of our team and just adds that balance beautifully.”

Hazelwood hoped Maxwell wouldn’t get bogged down playing a steady-hand in his No.4 role.

“You don’t want him going away from his natural instinct either,” he said. “He’s a player that just reacts to what’s coming and plays his game and that’s the one thing you want from Glenn all the time.

“Having that depth of batters, they can just go out and (Maxwell can) play his game, whether it’s in the first six overs or outside that against spin where in particularly he’s been destructive.

“The top seven walk out and see Steve Smith on the bench, and it puts you in a pretty good position. He’s been fantastic around the group, still working really hard, putting pressure on the batters.”

Malan back in fashion at No.3

Dawid Malan insists he is unfazed at shuffling down the batting order if the situation dictates after emphasising his importance to England as they wrapped up their T20 series win over Australia.

The perception of Malan being a slow starter might have led to him dropping down to number seven in Sunday’s first game as England turned to their middle-order dashers after Jos Buttler and Alex Hales had laid a platform.

But he was in his natural habitat at a chilly Manuka Oval in Canberra on Wednesday, anchoring England’s innings as they recovered from 4-54 to 7-178, enough for an eight-run victory to go 2-0 up with one to play.

Malan’s 82 off 49 balls, including seven fours and four sixes, relied on timing over all-out aggression against a full-strength Australia attack and was extra special on his 50th T20 appearance for England.

However, he denied he had a point to prove at the outset, indicating he has moved down the line-up in the past – most notably against the West Indies and South Africa at last year’s T20 World Cup.

“I feel like I’ve proved my point a hell of a lot before,” said Malan, the former top-ranked T20 batter in the world, who’s now at sixth.

“Ultimately, the way this team is balanced, if we get to a certain stage in the game, I think everyone’s very flexible in the way they’re going to bat.

“It was the same at the last World Cup, we chop and change depending on whether we want a certain player in at a certain time, especially if we get a good start.”

If Malan is relaxed about the need to adapt in T20s, the 35-year-old is less understanding about the England and Wales Cricket Board’s central contracts, which were announced earlier this week.

Malan was dropped to a lower incremental banding, having lost his Test spot after last winter’s Ashes, while Chris Jordan, England’s leading T20 wicket-taker of all-time, no longer has any type of ECB deal.

The current structure introduced last year makes no distinction between the red and white-ball formats with all players now in a single list and on an internal pay scale, but there continues to be greater weight given to performances in Test cricket which Malan feels is unfair.

“There’s obviously a slightly strange system with the contracting system,” said Malan. “Hopefully white-ball cricket can get recognised as Test match cricket does.

“We’d like to be rewarded for our performances for England, that’s what contracts are for, and if you’re ranked top-five in the world for three years, you’d hope you get recognised with a white-ball contract.

“You have players here who have been leading wicket-takers in the history of the game for England who don’t have a contract but those are decisions I don’t make.”