Glenn Maxwell eyes ODI all-round role and T20 finisher's job on Australia return
The allrounder hasn’t played international cricket since last October and is excited about a comeback against England
Andrew McGlashan26-Aug-2020
It will be hoped that Glenn Maxwell can add power to the middle order•Getty Images
It is Glenn Maxwell’s batting – and often his fielding – that will grab most of the headlines, but he hopes to be able to play a key role with the ball if he returns to Australia’s ODI side for the first time in more than a year against England next month and in the T20I line-up expects to have the task of finishing an innings.Maxwell’s last ODI was the World Cup semi-final defeat against England and his most recent international outing was the second T20I against Sri Lanka last October after which he took a break from the game to manage his mental health.Having had an underwhelming World Cup, where he made 177 runs at 22.12, he was overlooked for the ODI tour of India in January but had been recalled for the trip to South Africa before withdrawing when he needed elbow surgery. His last cricket of any sort was the Big Bash final against the Sydney Sixers on February 8.ALSO READ: Marnus Labuschagne working on his death batting in ODIs and legspinIt would appear a given that he will return to the T20I side for the three-match series against England: his last innings in the format was a destructive 62 off 28 balls against Sri Lanka at the Adelaide Oval and the two knocks before that, albeit back in February 29, were 56 and 113 not out against India.
There was also a very strong hint from coach Justin Langer that there is a middle-order spot for him in the ODI side, too, which specific mention of D’Arcy Short’s omission being because Maxwell had returned and the fact there was more confidence in his bowling.The logical spot for him would appear No. 5, with the ability to float like Jos Buttler does for England when the situation dictates, but Maxwell wants to ensure he is an all-round package for the captain and get back to level that made him Australia’s No. 1 spinner at the 2015 World Cup.”I’ve done a lot of work on my bowling in that time away, trying to be that genuine allrounder where I can bowl upwards of six, seven, eight overs a game to really take the load off the quicks and the front-line spinner if we do play one,” Maxwell said from Australia’s short-term base in Derby.”To go back to that 2015 year when I was the sole spinner and I was relied heavily upon, to be able to get back that string to my bow where I’m bowling a lot of consistent overs and helping the team out wherever I can.”Maxwell bowled in eight of Australia’s World Cup matches – twice completing his full allocation of 10 overs – but went wicketless and has only taken five ODI scalps since 2016. On the tour to India in January and the last ODI before cricket stopped, against New Zealand in March, Australia have used Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar in tandem but are still trying to work out the best balance for their ODI side.”I certainly haven’t played a lot of one-day cricket recently. I’m just looking forward to getting back out there in the colours and performing as well as I can in whatever role I’m given,” Maxwell said. “I’m confident in the skills work that I’ve done in the off-season and I’m ready to go.”
There is more clarity on the role Maxwell will before in the T20Is with him having used the time in lockdown training to talk through tactics with captain Aaron Finch.”[I’ve been] really working with Aaron Finch and the coaching staff with my role in the side and committing to that 100 percent every time,” he said. “It’s going to be more of a finishing role this time.”Australia have won nine of their last 11 T20Is to move to No. 1 in the rankings but since the ODI World Cup semi-final their one-day form has stuttered again with two wins from seven matches earlier this year.