Aaron Finch: “The way that he’s batting is as good as I’ve seen him in terms of his tempo”
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Australia opener Aaron Finch and former captain Ricky Ponting has backed all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to replace Chris Lynn in the ODI squad for the upcoming five-match series against England.
Maxwell was initially omitted from the side as Lynn took his place, but with the latter having been ruled out of the series with a calf injury, it is likely that Maxwell will be recalled.
Despite Australia skipper Steve Smith saying that Maxwell needed to “train a little bit smarter” and cut out the “funky stuff”, Finch believes that Maxwell has done everything possible to prove he deserves to be in the national team.
“He’s playing some really good cricket at the moment. The way that he’s batting is as good as I’ve seen him in terms of his tempo,” Finch was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au. “He’s probably changed a little bit from being all guns blazing from the first ball to giving himself a little bit of time.
“I suppose the Melbourne Stars have been losing a few early wickets, and that’s allowed him to bat for a bit longer before he has to take a risk.
“If the opportunity comes he’ll take it with both hands and perform well again.”
Maxwell is currently the leading run-scorer in the Sheffield Shield with 590 runs in five matches at an average of 73.75. He has replicated that form with the Melbourne Stars in the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) as he has scored two half-centuries in his last three games.
“In the lead-up to the Shield season his training was fantastic,” Finch said. “I think his results have reflected that over the last couple of months in terms of just the pure output of runs.
“Now he’s getting runs in the T20s as well, and consistent runs, which is one part he probably would have liked to have addressed a bit earlier, just make sure when he is in good form he’s backing that up.
“He’s disappointed. He backs his ability and his game to be very successful in international cricket.. He knows averaging 22 over his past 20 games was not what the side needed, but he’s gone back, been in great form, and peeled off runs.”
Ponting echoed Finch’s sentiments and said Maxwell has to be the frontrunner to replace Lynn.
“I would put him back into the squad,” Ponting said while commentating on Network Ten. “There was a lot made when he was left out, the chairman of selectors and Steve Smith laid it on the line pretty clearly what they wanted to see from him.
“That was along the lines of ‘train better and train smarter’ and I think Trevor Hohns said something about playing a bit smarter as well.
“So you would like to think he has listened to all that – he knows what he has to do now when he goes back into that squad.
“An opportunity has presented itself earlier than what Maxwell might have thought, if they actually go ahead and pick him. And as far as I’m concerned I don’t think there’s a better middle-order batsman than him to take that spot.
“So as long as he’s learnt his lesson and listened to what those people have had to say, absolutely I think he can go back to international cricket and dominate.”