Glenn Maxwell praises Shakib, Mustafizur

Glenn Maxwell, the Australian all-rounder, has praised the Bangladesh stalwart Shakib Al Hasan and the youngster Mustafizur Rahman. The batsman is currently in Bangladesh to play a two-match Test series which commences from 27th of this month. Maxwell is almost certain of playing in the starting XI for the first Test in Mirpur.

He lauded the Bangladeshi players and hailed them for their skills and contribution to the game. He termed the left-arm pacer as an exceptional bowler and found him tough to hit for runs when he played against him in Indian Premier League (IPL).

“Mustafizur is obviously the exceptional bowler we faced in the IPL during his breakthrough season. I suppose his pace dropped off as he played a bit more Test cricket. He is still an outstanding bowler who has the ability to swing it and an unbelievable change-up slower ball. He is not your conventional left-arm seamer,” said the Victorian all-rounder during a press conference ahead of the opening encounter of the series.

Maxwell also hailed Mustafizur’s capability of changing the bowling action instantly. “He obviously got a very flexible wrist with which he can flick it in the last moment. It looks exactly the same either it is his bumper or his slower ball. It is a hard thing to pick up,” he added.

Shakib is an excellent cricketer

The 28-year-old was all applauded the veteran all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. “The same thing with Shakib who is a really experienced player. He has been the No 1 all-rounder in the world for a while. He is an excellent cricketer. We have to play these guys really well to negate their influence in the Test series and make sure we are staying on top of the game,” Maxwell stated.

When asked a question about Shakib as a competitor, the swashbuckling batsman explained that he is more of a batting all-rounder while the Bangladeshi is a genuine all-rounder. “I am probably more of a batsman while he is probably more of a genuine all-rounder. I will try to make runs and then support the off-spinner in our team when he needs it,” he signed off.