“He has been fantastic, full credit to him”
Image courtesy of: Zimbio
Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been through a lot as of late, from being fined for his scathing comments towards Victoria captain and team-mate Matthew Wade to being left out of the ODI squad for the first two ODIs against New Zealand.
No doubt this frustrating period would test the character of any player, but the way in which Maxwell has responded has made quite the impression on Australia head coach Darren Lehmann.
Maxwell came under heavy criticism from Lehmann, captain Steven Smith and a plethora of other people for expressing his infuriation after Wade promoted himself above him in the Sheffield Shield. But, instead of firing back, Maxwell has kept his cool, much to the delight of Lehmann.
“He has been fantastic, full credit to him, the way he’s handled it and the way he’s been around the team,” Lehmann told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday. “We’ve named the team quite late both times … and he’s missed out last minute and he’s handled that really well.
“I’m really pleased the way he’s gone about it, and I know the players are (at) the way he’s dealt with it.”
With Australia holding an unassailable 2-0 lead going into the third and final ODI against New Zealand on Friday, there has been speculation about whether the pace duo of Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood will play, but Lehmann has confirmed that both seamers will be in action as the match will help them prepare for the first Test against Pakistan in Brisbane next Thursday.
“I would think they would be playing … they’ve got to bowl some overs and get ready for Brisbane anyway,” Lehmann said. “They’ve pulled up ok so unless something happens in the next 24 hours, we expect them to play.”
As for fast bowler Pat Cummins, who has returned with a bang, Lehmann is taking a more cautious approach as the 23-year-old has a history of back injuries. Cummins is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series with six scalps at an average of 17.16.
“We’re slowly slowly with him,” Lehmann said. “When you get someone like that that’s coming back and just goes ‘bang’ like that with a performance in Canberra, you go ‘Wow, we just want him in’. So you’ve got to sit back and work out what the best way to go about it is.”