At the end of his career, Glenn Maxwell will go down as one of the most exciting cricketers Australia has ever produced.
The 30-year-old Victorian arrived on the scene at just the right time. As T20 cricket exploded, the sport needed inventors and innovators — players who could take the game to the next level.
It’s almost hard to imagine Maxwell going as far as he has in any other era of cricket.
But his bravado with the bat that has made Maxwell so alluring to some has come with its doubters — those punters who say his innovation is more show than substance.
While white ball cricket is prestigious in its own right, Maxwell always dreamt of pulling on the baggy green.
It’s something he’s been able to do in seven Test matches for Australia and despite not being part of the current squad playing India, he definitely hasn’t given up on the dream.
In fact, he’s so determined to get back in the Test set-up, he has given up on the riches of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to give himself more time playing red ball cricket.
“It took a fair bit of thought and I spoke to a few people about what was the best thing for my cricket career going forward,” Maxwell told news.com.au on the eve of the start of the eighth Big Bash League (BBL) season — which will be shown live on Kayo Sports.
“I think where I am right now in my game, aged 30, I’m supposed to be at the peak of my powers and I haven’t played enough first-class cricket for how old I am and how long I’ve been around my state team.
“I feel like the best opportunity for me to get first-class cricket was to go to England and sacrifices need to be made for that.
“Pulling the pin on the IPL, while it was a tough decision, it was a smart decision both for my cricket career and going forward to give myself the opportunity to play county cricket and hopefully put some numbers up and try and get back in the Test side.”
MAXWELL STILL DREAMING BIG
A lack of first-class cricket has been an issue for Maxwell. Since debuting for Victoria in 2011, Maxwell has played just 61 first-class matches, averaging 41.10. But in two of the past three seasons, he’s averaged over 50.
It’s in T20s where he’s really made his name. He has a modest average of 25.25 but scores his runs at a strike rate of 155.02 across 223 games since 2010.
Maxwell’s hitting ability has made him a hot commodity in the T20 world, particularly in the IPL. The all-rounder has reportedly been on IPL contracts worth more than $1.4 million since 2013 with last year’s contract coming in at $1.75 million.
He was cut by the Delhi Daredevils in November and decided to shun the IPL altogether this season rather than put his hat in the ring in last night’s auction in the hope of getting scooped up by another franchise.
“It was difficult, but it was probably easier having been lucky with the IPL. I’ve never really played the game for money or gone out searching for it,” Maxwell said.
“Sometimes those things just happen and it’s out of your control.
“Ultimately my goal has been to play Test cricket for Australia it still burns pretty deep within me that I want to get back in there so this was the best decision for me to reach that goal. I still harbour dreams to get back in that side and this was the best opportunity for me to achieve that.”
Instead, Maxwell will link with Lancashire in the English County Championship, aiming to get some red ball cricket in as well as acclimatise to the conditions ahead of next year’s World Cup in England, which will be followed by an Ashes series in enemy territory.
While Maxwell is hoping for an Ashes berth, he knows he has a long way to go to break into the Australian squad.
“I don’t think I’ll probably get enough cricket in before the Ashes — the World Cup is a centrepiece of why I wanted to get over there,” he said.
“The chance to play the six or seven one-day games in English conditions on Test venues for me to get some decent match practice in before the World Cup.
“If I’m in the World Cup squad, I’ll head home and start preparing with them back in Australia.
“There’s a real concentrated effort to give myself the best opportunity to perform well at the World Cup. If all things go well and I’m playing well in English conditions, you never know (about the Ashes) but my main focus is firstly that World Cup when I go over and play for Lancashire.”
TEST CRICKET THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Maxwell has had an indifferent time in the Australian set-up. After poor returns in his first foray into Test cricket in India in 2013 and a forgettable Test in Abu Dhabi in 2014, it was thought Maxwell may not return to the Test side.
Brought back in 2017, Maxwell made the most of his lifeline, striking a maiden Test century in India.
Although he couldn’t pass 50 in his next three matches, he has regularly been in the conversation for a middle order spot but rejection has routinely faced him at every turn in his quest to wear the baggy green again.
Following the ball tampering scandal in South Africa, Maxwell seemed to be firming as a starter in the next Test assignment against Pakistan in the UAE on the back of his subcontinent experience with the IPL and strong Test showing in India.
However, he didn’t get selected and was told to go back and score more centuries by new coach Justin Langer.
Since then, Maxwell has only been able to play two first class matches. He scored 57 and 34 not out against Western Australia after being run out for a duck and registering 35 against Queensland.
After scoring 707 runs last season, he hopes to show he’s a more well-rounded player.
“I certainly hope (I’ve matured as a batsman since playing Test cricket), I’ve done a lot of work to get to where I am today,” Maxwell said.
“I was really proud of all the work I did to get back into the Test squad originally last year and to perform the way I did, I was really proud of that.
“Unfortunately I wasn’t able to keep my spot back to the Australian summer but I felt like I gave myself the best opportunity to be successful at Test cricket.
“I wasn’t able to put the bigger numbers towards the back end of the Bangladesh series but I was extremely proud of all the hard work I put in and to be able to get back into that Test squad after being heavily doubted by some people.
“To get 100 in India against India is something I’m extremely proud of.”
STARS SEARCH FOR FRESH START IN BBL
It’s a new Glenn Maxwell heading into the eighth edition of the Big Bash League.
With a new outlook and a new squad, Maxwell is also the Melbourne Stars’ new captain.
“It’s very exciting at a time where we have got a changing squad and it feels almost like a clean slate for the Melbourne Stars this year,” he said.
“We can really start our own brand of cricket and hopefully it’s a really exciting brand of cricket. It’s really exciting for me to be able to help mould that and try and add the finishing pieces on what’s already a really good squad.
“Make no mistake, I’m hoping I perform well and play my role for the team but it’s nice to be able to lead this squad and start fresh.”
The Stars have been one of the most successful teams yet to win the league, having made it at least to the semi-finals in all seasons — except last season, when the Stars finished with the wooden spoon.
With the clean slate, Maxwell is eager to chase renewed success for the franchise, including an elusive title.
One way the Stars can do it is with their troupe of spinners — Michael Beer, Adam Zampa, Maxwell himself and Nepalese youngster Sandeep Lamichhane.
Lamichhane is an 18-year-old but he has already played IPL cricket under Ricky Ponting at the Delhi Daredevils. He also played in Australia and was mentored by Michael Clarke when he played Sydney grade cricket with Western Suburbs in 2017.
Maxwell said Lamichhane could be a game-changer.
“This year we’ve got a new-look squad, a few new faces and also a bit of the unknown with a guy making his first BBL appearance from Nepal as well (Lamichhane). That’s really exciting for not only the Stars group but also the competition in general to see how he goes,” Maxwell said.
“He’s an extremely proud Nepalese young bowler and he has brought a great energy to the group already from just the one practice session we’ve had on the family day and we’ve already seen the support he’s had around Melbourne.
“I think he’s going to bring a sense of youthful exuberance to the group as well as great skill. What we’ve seen so far is that he is someone who is extremely talented and looking forward to making a massive impact in the bowling line-up for us.
“I think that’s really key for the spin bowlers, you can have all the spinners you want but they still have to be really confident in their art and that’s what we’ve found in that group we’ve got now and we’re all confident in our own skill and they’re able to execute under pressure.”
As for Maxwell, he lives as he bats — in the moment.
The nickname which has followed him around his entire career — “The Big Show” — isn’t one of his favourite tags. He said he thinks people find it a bit arrogant but has come to live with it.
In fact, there’s not much he regrets.
“I probably regret leaving that ball in Brisbane (when he was bowled in a BBL game). Apart from that, not really,” Maxwell laughed.
“I feel like most of the time I try to give myself the best opportunity to have success on whatever team. Probably at times I’ve tried a bit too hard to impress and gone away from what works for me and I think it was nice to come back to Shield cricket last year and have some time to work on my game alone and work out what was best for me.
“I think the results started to speak for themselves once I had that time to work on my game and I just found a real peace with where I was at.”
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