Glenn Maxwell feeling the heat over weakness against short ball

Australia’s X-Factor has been a huge disappointment, but Glenn Maxwell has a mere four days to work out the glaring weakness in his game — with England set to zero in the struggling star.

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Glenn Maxwell will be targeted by Jofra Archer and Mark Wood’s fast and furious bowling in the World Cup semi-final as heat comes for the electrifying all-rounder that has barely fired a shot all tournament.

South Africa identified Maxwell’s weakness against the short ball in last November’s ODI series and instructed tearaway Kagiso Rabada to target the struggling batsman with a barrage of bouncers.

It worked, with Rabada’s seventh delivery to Maxwell grabbing a top edge as a hook shot brought the Victorian undone for the third time in eight games.

“Yes, pretty much (we targeted him with bouncers),” South Africa coach Ottis Gibson said.

“He’s a fantastic player, but when we went to Australia last year we always felt when you attack him you give yourself more chance of getting him out.

“It was good that that plan worked.”

Glenn Maxwell has found life difficult against the short stuff this tournament. Picture: Getty

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Maxwell averaged 20.3 in three ODIs against South Africa last year as three different fast bowlers removed him.

Maxwell declared before Saturday’s 10-run loss at Old Trafford that he was in the form of his life but, after nine matches, he has made just 155 runs at just 22.1 and is yet to post a half-century.

Maxwell has entered in three perilous situations and made scores of 12 (20) against South Africa, one (five) against New Zealand and a duck (two) against West Indies when the Aussies needed him most.

All three of those dismissals have come against short-pitched bowling.

Maxwell didn’t last long in the middle against South Africa. Picture: Getty

The part-time off-spinner has also gone wicket-less, although his tight spells against Sri Lanka did blunt that run chase while a poor umpiring decision cost him an lbw dismissal.

But the short ball weakness is an alarming problem for Australia entering the knockout rounds, with teammate Mitchell Starc putting Maxwell in hospital with a bouncer at training on Thursday.

X-rays cleared Maxwell of a broken right arm but that shock helped rivals solidify their bowling plans to bring back their express pacemen when he comes to the crease.

Maxwell is part of a middle-order set for a semi-final makeover, increasing the pressure on him to take England apart on Thursday.

Former great Andrew Symonds said the glaring problem required urgent attention.

“It’s definitely a bit of a problem,” Symonds said.

“I had the same thing — they used to try and bomb me, especially early in my innings before I got going,” he said.

“I wasn’t a great hooker or puller so it was a ball they could use against me that could be a dot ball, but that’s OK.

“We don’t mind dot balls. A Maxwell will catch up.”