“What on earth was that from Glenn Maxwell?,” Kevin Pietersen said on the broadcast. “That there from Maxwell, I’m afraid to say, is not good enough.”
He’s going to the World Cup now and I don’t see any reason why he can’t turn this around or turn his own personal form around in the World Cup for Australia and I look forward to watching that
Andy Flower, RCB head coach
There is an it’ll-be-alright-on-the-night view from a number of voices, including the coach Andrew McDonald, when it comes to Maxwell’s form leading into the World Cup. There is some sound logic behind that confidence, for Maxwell is a player capable of the extraordinary.
It was a similar tone struck by Flower. “Maxi’s had a tough season, absolutely, and we know what he can contribute. It’s been a really tough season for him,” he said. “He’s had an amazing couple of years actually. It was a surprise to everyone but I really wish him well.
“He’s going to the World Cup now and I don’t see any reason why he can’t turn this around or turn his own personal form around in the World Cup for Australia and I look forward to watching that.”
Maxwell continues to have to manage his fitness following the badly broken leg he suffered in late 2022. He has insisted he felt confident coming into the tournament but recently suggested the other off-field commitments of the IPL may have had an impact.
“The filming, the ads, and all that sort of stuff takes up so much time and so much energy that I was sort of almost drained, I reckon, before game one,” he said during an interaction with members of his Catch Max fan club. “I probably had about four full days of filming leading into the first couple of games, and just found like I wasn’t able to probably get the same sort of match practice I was able to get in last time.”
One positive, alluded to by Finch, is that the bowling continues go well for Maxwell. His offspin has become an integral part of Australia’s white-ball plans. One of the possible combinations they could go with in the Caribbean, and perhaps the most likely, again has him as the second spinner alongside Adam Zampa.
While the attention now turns to Maxwell in Australian colours, the other intriguing aspect after his lean season is what comes next in the IPL? There is a mega auction on the horizon and teams will only be able to retain a set number of players beforehand.