"He said it was an amazing tournament to be a part of" - Glenn Maxwell remembers Shane Warne ahead of his Hundred debut
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell recalled a conversation with former London Spirit coach Shane Warne as he gears up to make his Hundred debut. Maxwell revealed that he instantly started discussing strategies and gameplans with Warne after the London Spirit roped him in.
The Victorian is one of the most sought-out white-ball players globally and will play for the London Spirit in the upcoming season of the Hundred. The 33-year-old skipped the first season of the tournament last year as then-coach Shane Warne announced Josh Inglis as his replacement.
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Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Maxwell recollected how he and the late Shane Warne began discussing the team and the combinations after the London Spirit picked him in the draft. He said:
"When the draft happened, I wasn't sure who I was going to go to, but as soon as I was picked by London I was basically on the phone with Warnie pretty much nonstop. Trying to work out the team and all that sort of stuff. Different combinations."
The 32-year-old recollected Warne's love for the tournament and the excitement of having Maxwell in the team. The swashbuckling batter continued:
"He said it was an amazing tournament to be a part of and all he was talking about after last year was, 'Oh next year, we're going to get it right, it's fine, you'll be coming over.' The excitement in his voice, he spoke really passionately about it and, yeah, he loves this team.
"He loved being able to almost brag about coaching the team playing at Lord's, which was always quite funny."
The champion spin bowler died of a suspected heart attack on March 4 this year in Thailand. His coaching stint with the London Spirit was irregular as COVID-19 ruled him out of a chunk of games.
"I'm trying to get my own preparation done for the World Cup" - Glenn Maxwell
Maxwell, who will head home after a few games to fulfill his international commitments, has his sights on the upcoming T20 World Cup at home. He hopes the Hundred will be useful in his preparations for the World Cup and added:
"I think me personally, I'm trying to get my own preparation done for the World Cup. That's my whole game at the moment, is gearing towards that T20 World Cup. I'll use these conditions and the quality of teams and players in all those teams to hopefully get myself prepared.
"I know I'm only here for a short period of time but I'm going to be training with a goal in mind to be ready for that T20 World Cup."
Now that is potentially good business for the Spirit, but given the minimal benefit, we're surprised Glenn Maxwell has signed up!
What do you think? Is costing Maxwell 25k for that small a potential benefit worth it?
Let us know...
The all-rounder was part of the Australian squad that lifted their first T20 World Cup trophy last year in the UAE. Meanwhile, the London Spirit will open their campaign against the Oval Invincibles on Thursday (August 4) at the Oval.