Glenn Maxwell (Photo-PTI)
Australia’s Glenn Maxwell created history by scoring a double century against Afghanistan in the World Cup-2023. Thanks to Maxwell’s innings, Australia won the lost game. Maxwell’s golf experience came in handy in this innings. Despite being injured, the kind of sixes he hit without moving his leg was similar to the swing of golf players. For information, let us tell you that Maxwell likes to play golf as an amateur, but this hobby of his at one time became fatal for his career.
Maxwell was seriously injured while playing golf in the lawn of his friend’s house. After this injury, he could not be a part of the Australian Test team on the India tour. He had understood that it would be difficult to make a place in the Test team at the age of 35 and he focused his entire attention on limited overs cricket. After his return from injury, many people had doubts about Maxwell’s power hitting as before but he scored more than 400 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of more than 183 in the last season of IPL.
Had shown a glimpse in IPL
Maxwell had shown a glimpse in the IPL itself that he would fully enjoy the conditions in India during the World Cup. Maxwell has been playing golf and tennis since childhood. Due to this, the coordination between his hands and eyes has been excellent. Despite straining his leg muscles during his unbeaten innings of 201 runs in 128 balls against Afghanistan, he hit many sixes with his hands whose style was like a golf swing (shot).
When a golfer hits the ball far, he uses the strength of his arms and upper body without moving his legs. Former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq has also seen Maxwell play golf. He said that Maxwell’s swing (golf shot) is 400 meters (distance). However, during this historic innings, Afghanistan’s fielders and bowlers also performed poorly for Maxwell.
Maxwell got two lives and the bowlers gave him the opportunity to play big shots easily by bowling over pitch. Former Pakistan all-rounder Shoaib Malik said that Afghanistan’s spin bowlers do not bowl flighted balls and Maxwell took advantage of this. He said that most of the spinners of Afghanistan bowl at fast pace and with low flight. If Mitchell Santner or Keshav Maharaj were bowling in that situation, they would have bounced it and reduced the speed of the balls. The slower the ball, the more power you will need to make a big shot. Maxwell got the benefit of this.
