George Bailey, the former captain of the Australian cricket team and current chief selector, has defended all-rounder Glenn Maxwell’s capabilities as a specialist spinner in the team as he believes that it is unfair to dismiss right-handed all-rounder’s abilities in this area. The Australian team is scheduled to begin their 2023 World Cup campaign against hosts India in Chennai on October 8th.
Glenn Maxwell made a stunning comeback in the 3rd ODI against India, earning the Player of the Match award for his performance with the ball. Having been a regular feature in the IPL, Maxwell is well-acquainted with bowling in Indian conditions and is expected to play a crucial role in Australia’s ODI World Cup campaign.
Speaking on Espncricinfo, George Bailey feels that it is unfair not to call Glenn Maxwell a specialist spinner in the Australian team for the World Cup. Bailey revealed that he is one of the two front-line spinners in Australia’s playing 11 and hailed him for his all-round ability in the white-ball format of the game.
“I think it’s unfair on Maxwell to say he’s not a specialist spinner. Think his white-ball spinning record is pretty handy and you could very much consider him a frontline option. We certainly consider that we have two frontline spinners within our first-choice XI,” George Bailey said.
“Glenn’s been so dynamic across his one-day career, not only his ability with bat and ball but just the positions he puts himself in the field. So there’s been a high workload there,” George Bailey added.
Glenn Maxwell is a powerful middle-order batsman for the Australian cricket team, who also excels as an off-break bowler. With his all-round skills, he provides a perfect balance to the team and he will be looking to make a significant impact for Australia in the impending ODI World Cup.
We Certainly Think That Adam Zampa And Glenn Maxwell Can Do Really Good Job For Us – George Bailey
George Bailey believes that Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell can do a really good job for Australia in the spinner-friendly conditions and The Pat Cummins-led side will be hoping to win a record-extending sixth ODI World Cup title in India, highlighting the fact the team has got a lot of all-rounders going into the mega event.
“More broadly across the squad, when you are limited to 15 players, there are compromises that you have to weigh up and which way to want to take a risk. That was all the considerations that we had to take. We certainly think that Zampa and Maxwell can do a really good job for us as the frontline spinners and we’ve still got plenty of options for quicks and backup all-rounders,” George Bailey further added.
Five-time winners Australia will begin their campaign in ICC World Cup 2023 against hosts and fellow favourites India on October 8 in Chennai.
Besides, Pat Cummins-led side has got a good team to win the championship on Indian soil, as most of the players will have the experience of playing in the conditions over the last few years.