Maxwell opts for break after forgettable run in IPL 2024
There were speculations that the Aussie might have sat out because of a thumb injury but it wasn’t the case.
Former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn thinks that Glenn Maxwell would have been named Mr 360 had AB de Villiers not been around in in the T20 format and said the Australian batsman is not very far from the Proteas legend in terms of abilities and skills.
“When it comes to T20, you very rarely get guys that strike it as cleanly as he does. He’s very smart, too, the way he goes about it. You talk about guys like AB de Villiers being a 360 (degree) player but ‘Maxi’ is up there, too,” Steyn was quoted as saying on Cricket Australia’s digital content platform cricket.com.au.
“It’s just a nickname that AB’s earned because he plays like that, but had AB not been around you could’ve easily nicknamed someone like Maxi ‘Mr 360’ because he’s got that capability of taking you down in areas you don’t want the ball to go,” he added.
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Steyn also praised Maxwell for his strong wrists and compared him with Virender Sehwag. He said, “He’s got strong wrists. There are not many players that can hit you for six over point; Sehwag was someone that could open the blade like that.”
“(Maxwell is) very clever because the next ball he could flick you over the deep square, so as a bowler you’re always guessing what he’s up to. You bring third man up, you bring point up, he hits you for six there. You change it up and he hits you for six somewhere else,” the 36-year-old added.
Maxwell is currently playing at the Big Bash League (BBL) representing the Melbourne Stars after making a comeback from his break which he had taken citing mental health conditions.
Earlier this month, the swashbuckling all-rounder had turned up the heat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 auction as he emerged as one of the costliest players with Kings XI Punjab buying him at a whopping price of INR 10.75 crore.
Maxwell, with the base price of INR 2 crore, was expected to be the biggest attention-seeker at the auction, being held in Kolkata and the same was repeated when Delhi Capitals and KXIP engaged in a fierce bidding war for the 31-year-old.
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