Former Spinner Kerry O’Keeffe Admits He Was Wrong About Glenn Maxwell
Jan 16, 2017 at 4:03 PM
Life has come full circle for Glenn Maxwell in the last few days. Just 12 months back, the Victoria all-rounder was the blue-eyed boy of Australia after playing an integral role in Australia’s 2015 ICC World Cup win. Putting aside his technique issues, the 28-year -old became one of the most consistent performers of the Australian team and deservedly bagged the Australia’s ODI player of the year award.
But a prolonged loss of form saw him getting dropped from the team. He was included in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand but did not get to play a single game – a clear indication that he was not in the team’s plan. Maxwell finally got a chance to prove his worth in the first match of the ongoing ODI series against Pakistan and he grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He scored 60 runs off only 56 balls as Australia recovered from a poor start to post a good total. And while one can say that the innings was not a very special one, it was enough for him to earn a place in the Australian squad for the India tour.
Moreover, Maxwell’s knock also convinced Kerry O’Keeffe about his ability after the former Australia spinner had severely criticised the all-rounder a week ago. Maxwell was tipped to get a place in the squad for the Test series due to his experience in sub-continent and his handy off-spin. However, O’Keeffe severely criticised his bowling and called his action the worst for an off-spinner.
“That off-spin is not even handy. It’s dross (rubbish),” O’Keeffe had said in a video uploaded to YouTube.
“It’s perhaps the worst action for a spinner in first class cricket in Australia. Maxi’s action has fallen apart, because of that drive to bowl dot balls in Twenty20 cricket.
“If you’re going to have a number six that bowls handy off-spin, you’ve got to get it above the eye line and make it dip. Travis Head may be a better option. He does that,” he added.
The 67-year-old has now admitted the all-rounder can play a significant role on ‘certain pitches.
Speaking in his YouTube series, the former bowler said:“For those who watched last week when I said I wouldn’t take Glenn Maxwell to India: wrong!”
“I thought he played tremendously well in the first one-dayer. He didn’t bowl – that’s a plus for him. But he showed me that on certain pitches, Glenn Maxwell can very effective in the middle order.The Australian selectors have seen in that way,” he added.
He also said Australian pacers will be have to be in their elements if the visitors want to do well against the world number one Test side.
“The main men, of course, will be (Mitchell) Starc and (Josh) Hazlewood. I don’t think we can the series unless they fire up,” O’Keeffe added.
“Starc has terrific form on the sub-continent. He was great in a losing team in Sri Lanka.And again, it’s him at the top of the order with new ball and the old ball. If Starc has a good series we can win it, regardless of how many spinners we’ve taken,” he pointed out.
During the disastrous Sri Lanka tour, Starc was the stand out performer for his team as he bagged 24 wickets in only three matches on spin-friendly wickets. Steven Smith would be hoping for a similar performance from his pace spearhead as he would desperately look to improve his team’s poor record in the sub-continent.