West Indian Nicholas Pooran leaves even Glenn Maxwell in awe

Glenn Maxwell has never seen cleaner Big Bash hitting and thinks Melbourne Stars teammate Nicholas Pooran is just warming up.

Glenn Maxwell was happy to watch from the other end last Sunday as West Indian Nicholas Pooran put on a BIg Bash hitting display. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

One of the best Big Bash batting debuts ever has been hailed as “extraordinary” by Melbourne Stars captain Glenn Maxwell, who believes Nicholas Pooran’s Gold Coast special was just the beginning.

Big Bash blasters Marcus Stoinis and Nic Maddinson will return to increase the Stars’ batting weaponry against the Sydney Thunder on Tuesday which looks stacked after Pooran let loose last weekend.

Batting for the first time in the Big Bash, the West Indian smashed eight huge sixes in his 26-ball innings of 65 which even left Maxwell happy to watch from the other end.

“That’s as clean as hitting as I have ever seen in the Big Bash,” Maxwell said on Monday.

“To be at the other end, not wanting him to hit a single and watch him go about his work, was pretty cool.

“I told him to stop looking for singles. I said if you are confident, stay there.

“I have seen him do it a little bit in the IPL but not as clean as that. That was extraordinary hitting.

“Hopefully, that’s just the beginning. I know how good he is.”

Nicholas Pooran just went:

4⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣, 4⃣, 6⃣, 6⃣.

A memorable first @BBL innings 🤯#BBL10 #TeamGreen pic.twitter.com/bFa7io3JSj

— Melbourne Stars (@StarsBBL) December 26, 2020

But while Pooran piled on the runs, his West Indian compatriot Andre Fletcher is yet to fire for the Stars.

Fletcher has just 34 runs in his four innings and gets another chance opening the batting with Stoinis, last year’s leading run scorer in the BBL.

Maxwell, who is leading the way for his team this season with scores of 46, 39 and 71 not out in last Sunday’s loss to the Sixers, hopes he isn’t required to come to the rescue again.

“I feel like I have been hitting the ball pretty well. It’s just a mindset of going out there whatever the game situation is and adjusting to it as well as I can,” he said.

“But hopefully the top order can get a bunch of runs and I am not required too much.”

The Stars could be without fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile for some time after the big quick returned to Perth for scans on a calf he hurt last weekend.

His return date remains unknown.