Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - Felt 10 feet tall: Maxwell relishes earning de Villiers and Kohli's backing. 'The trend of the games over here has been that it's been really tough in the last four or five overs'
'The trend of the games over here has been that it's been really tough in the last four or five overs'
Coming off a productive stint in the IPL, Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell is hopeful of success if he's able to “continue the process” that he followed with the Royals Challengers Bangalore.
Maxwell said he felt “10 feet tall” in the RCB dressing room, basking in the assurance he derived from the backing of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
“Every day was a learning experience, every day I was finding something new out. I was being a sponge to Virat and AB, just watching the way they go about things,” Maxwell said. “That's always been the one thing in the IPL I've been extremely thankful of… the opportunities that it gives you to learn off the best players in the world.
“I was extremely fortunate to have two of the greats of the game in the same team and in the same batting line up and who were open to sharing their experiences and talk to me about their game. It makes you feel 10-feet tall when you've got your backing and they're watching you or asking you questions. It just makes you feel confident, it just makes you feel happy. It was just nice to have a nice, comfortable environment.
“If I continue the process I've been doing at the IPL, I know I'm going to have success. It's a nice position to be in mentally that I've come off a good run of form. I'm not overthinking.”
But Maxwell is not convinced that the form and confidence he brings from IPL to the T20 WC will be make-or-break for Australia's campaign.
“In my mind I'm not sure I've completely embraced (being so crucial to Australia's chances). It's not like ‘If I play well, we're going to win a World Cup,' there's no thoughts of that,” Maxwell said.
Maxwell also gave his two cents on what he expects from the venues during the T20 WC and how runs upfront in the PowerPlay will be the most crucial.
“It's not like I suppose other places around the world where you can cash in later on. I think it's about cashing in at the front end and then try to hold off as long as possible.
“I don't think it's going to be 220s and 230s that people have come to expect from small grounds like Sharjah. In saying that if someone gets in from the PowerPlay and gets going, anything can happen because if you get used to conditions you can certainly make the most of them and dominate a team.
“But the trend of the games over here has been that it's been really tough in the last four or five overs. The ball gets softer, the bounce almost disappears. There weren't too many people that made over 10-an-over for the last five overs.”
