"Didn't really want to bat" - Glenn Maxwell's surprise revelation regarding his 40-ball 100 in 2023 World Cup match
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell made a surprise revelation about not wanting to bat during the 2023 World Cup clash against the Netherlands in Delhi on Wednesday. The 34-year-old stated that he endured a sleepless night before the match with his family over.
The Victorian shattered the record for the fastest century in World Cup history, reaching three figures only in 40 balls against the Dutch. He broke Aiden Markram's record and got there in the 48th over, slamming Bas de Leede for 28 runs with 3 sixes. Overall, Maxwell smacked 8 maximums.
Speaking at a presser after the massive 309-run victory, here's what he said:
"I was sitting in the changing room and I didn't really want to bat, which is a bit different than the last game where I was way too eager to get out there. Didn't have many high hopes. I've been pretty cooked the last couple of days. Coincided with the sleepless night last night with the family over."
The spin-bowling all-rounder revealed the need to calm himself down in the first few deliveries and regained clarity after his half-century. Maxwell elaborated:
"It's a bit weird that I had to calm myself down for the first 20-odd balls. I think the circumstances of the timing of the wickets probably changed the way I would have gone about it if it was just me and Davey at the back end."
"I felt like I was just super selective. Even with the boundaries I was hitting, until I got to about 50 or 60, I was literally hitting them flat through the gap or picking my spots pretty clearly where I wanted to go."
The veteran all-rounder has hit two out of the four fastest centuries in World Cups. He was also sharp on the field, running Vikramjit Singh out via a direct throw from mid-off.
"Not too worried" - Glenn Maxwell on his lack of runs
Speaking on facing criticism regarding his dearth of runs, Maxwell said it doesn't worry him, knowing he is a match-winner on his day. He added:
"I'm not too worried about people saying that I haven't made runs in ODI cricket because it doesn't really matter, especially my role in one-day cricket. It's so similar to T20, so I just draw on those experiences, knowing that if I do get it right on the day, hopefully my team will be winning."
Australia will next lock horns with New Zealand on October 28, Saturday, in Dharamsala.