‘What was he thinking?’: Glenn Maxwell explains Big Bash brain fade

Glenn Maxwell has responded after his critics resurfaced when the Melbourne Stars captain threw his wicket away in the Big Bash.

Despite everything he has achieved in his playing career, Glenn Maxwell can’t seem to escape criticism for his fearless style of batting.

The leading cause of frustration among fans has been his shot selection – when he pulls off a reverse sweep, he’s labelled a genius. When he’s dismissed while attempting the same stroke, he’s torn to shreds.

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Facing Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates seven years ago, cricket traditionalists ripped into Maxwell after the right-hander attempted a reverse sweep while trying to save the Test in the fourth innings – to them, it was proof he didn’t have the temperament for Test cricket.

But as Maxwell explained at the time: “My best form of defence is attack.”

The Victorian’s dismissal during Saturday evening’s run chase against the Sydney Thunder also had Melbourne Stars fans tearing their hair out. Maxwell and teammate Marcus Stoinis were compiling a match-winning partnership before Stoinis was caught at deep mid-wicket off the bowling of young leg-spinner Tanveer Sangha.

The Stars were still in a winning position – Maxwell was cruising at 40 off 24 and just needed to continue rotating the strike and attacking the occasional lousy ball when necessary.

But immediately after Stoinis’ dismissal, the Stars captain attacked a Sangha delivery that was sliced directly towards the boundary rider at long-off.

“Glenn Maxwell didn’t have to do that,” former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin said on Fox Cricket.

Australian great Mark Waugh continued: “Sometimes you’ve got to play the game in front of you; they only need eight (runs) an over.”

Some day, i can claim to understand Glenn Maxwell's mindset. Some day.
Wicket fallen, required rate not alarming, and yet he decides to take the aerial route against the leggie to find long off. #BBL11

— S. Sudarshanan (@Sudarshanan7) December 12, 2021

I’m a genuine believer in Maxwell and think a lot of the criticism he cops from some ex-players is ridiculously unfair.

But that shot, what was he thinking? #BBL11

— Scott Bailey (@ScottBaileyAAP) December 12, 2021

Maxwell does not regret the shot, rather the execution. Considering how important net run rate can be on the BBL ladder, the skipper was keen to chase down the target as quickly as possible.

“My aim was to take on the spinners, regardless of what Stoinis did the previous ball,” Maxwell told news.com.au, speaking on behalf of Kayo. “I was always going to look to try and take the bowler down.

“If you look at the end result, we still didn’t use two of our batters, so we’ve got plenty of batting depth.

“With the stage of the game, there was no real risk of us getting bowled out, so it was just about trying to take the game on and finish it earlier.

“If I had my time again, I’d probably just execute it a little bit better. I think it was a poor swing of the bat, which was disappointing. I look back at it, I was happy with the idea, I probably just didn’t execute how I wanted to.”

Glenn Maxwell of the Stars. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The Stars ultimately secured a six-wicket victory over the Thunder, chasing down the 152-run target with 17 balls to spare.

West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell was awarded Player of the Match honours for an unbeaten 42 off 21 balls, which included a whopping 102m six off Sangha – but the Jamaican was impressed with what he saw from the 20-year-old.

“After the game I said to him, ‘Listen, you have a big heart, and I like spinners who are not afraid to bowl to big-hitters’, and he was doing really, really well,” Russell told reporters.

“He was bowling into my body and mixing his pace up as well. I observed that about him, and he has a bright future. I wish him all the best.”

Playing in his maiden Big Bash tournament last summer, Sangha took more wickets than any other spinner with 21 scalps at 18.28. National selectors rewarded the leggie by including him in Australia’s squad for February’s T20 tour of New Zealand.

Sangha is yet to make his international debut, but Maxwell has no doubt he will develop into an “absolute star”.

“He’s got great control, he’s got the ability to keep players down and he’s starting to read the game really well,” he said.

“In the last 12 months, he’s certainly grown as a cricketer … this year’s he’s just gotten better.

“He’s certainly going to be putting pressure on Adam Zampa in that white-ball team. He’s got some good skills and is an exciting talent for the Australian future.”

Tanveer Sangha of the Thunder celebrates with his teammates. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images.

The Stars will next face reigning champions the Sydney Sixers on Wednesday at the MCG, with the first ball scheduled for 7.15pm AEDT.

The Sixers embarrassed the men in green last week, defeating Maxwell’s inexperienced side by 152 runs in the season opener at the SCG, setting a new record for the largest margin of victory in Bash Bash history.

But the Stars have since been injected with a plethora of world-class talent, including Stoinis, Russell and Afghan spinner Qais Ahmad.

The Sixers vs Stars rematch can be streamed on Fox Cricket via Kayo – live, exclusive and ad-break free.