Getting dropped hurts but it probably motivated me to train harder: Glenn Maxwell

Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell suffered for lack consistency after he was dropped from the playing XI for two games during the ongoing tri-nation ODI series in West Indies. He found himself on the sidelines after registering single-digit scores in his last five innings.

Maxwell, however, was brought back into the team for the Barbados leg of the series and answered his critics in style in his comeback game against West Indies. The audacious batsman scored an unbeaten 46 off just 26 deliveries to help his side win by six wickets and reach the final pretty comfortably.

The time at the bench was a rude awakening for the 27-year-old who was named the Australian One-Day International player of the year in January.

“That’s probably why I was so disappointed to be dropped at that stage,” Maxwell told AAP on Thursday (June 23). “Because I just felt like I hadn’t really had a real chance to show what I’ve got, or show what form I’ve been in or felt in, during this tournament.

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“You feel so ingrained in that side for such a long time … you feel like you need to be there. It hurt at the time but it probably motivated me to train a bit harder and just reassess where I needed to get better. Anyone who’s dropped knows exactly what they have to do. They just have to work harder and train harder. I felt like I trained really well over the last week or so and did everything I could to get myself back on that team list.”

Maxwell put on 62 runs off just 42 deliveries with Mitchell Marsh to help Australia go past the finishing line with eight balls to spare. The fact that he remained out in the middle until the end pleased Maxwell more than anything.

“Being not out was probably the key thing,” Maxwell said. “And something the Australian cricket team has probably wanted more of me over the last couple of years. I’ve been working as hard as I can in the nets to make sure I’ve been clinical … it’s not just clearing the fence. It’s defence, good technical play. To finish it with an over to go was quite a clinical ending.”

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The highlight of his cameo was without a doubt the switch-hit six he hit off Sunil Narine. Maxwell admitted that he still couldn’t read the mystery spinner and conceded that he got a little lucky initially.

“I wasn’t picking him so I was just trying to hit it,” he said. “I was trying to hit him over cover because I thought he was going to bowl an off-spinner into my hip. So I thought if I could get it over cover, even if I didn’t get it, I was going to get two. And it was the other one that just spun perfectly into the bat, which was handy.”

“I had a little bit of luck. I played and missed once or twice. That’s all you need … it’s nice to make a mistake and get away with it. Everything just felt really clear out there … really obvious (on what to do).”