***Official*** West Indies tour of Australia, Jan–Feb 2024

[Spark]

In the UAE v Pakistan

Played a bad shot in the 2nd innings and wasn’t picked again for 4 years

Oh I know that bit. But where did you hear that it was because Clarke had a strop and forced him to bat 3?

 

[Starfighter]

Sacrificed at 3? Those wickets in the UAE were puddings, 3 was probably the best place to bat. It's not like he was sent there on an English greentop

And this is coming from a huge Maxwell fan

If I recall correctly, the real ****housery that happened with Maxwell was around the sandpaper era. Apparently what happened was Maxwell was looking for County gigs to prove himself in first class, and Langer told him not to go for one because he would be going on an A tour to India. He was then not selected for that A tour. That pretty much finished his first class career.

Not sure if all the details are correct, but from my vague memory it sounded as bad as depicted.

 

[Spikey]

Maxwell being black listed and treated like **** by the selectors and Clarke/Smith as captains is definitely true though. Smith even refused to bowl Maxwell in ODIs for a while when he took over as captain

Maxwell averaged 130 with the ball between 2016 and 2020 though. he averaged 148 in the games Finch captained! and since 2021 he's back to averaging 37 after starting his career by averaging 35 odd. it's a real chicken or the egg thing, did he suck coz Smith stopped using him or did Smith stop using him coz he started to suck.

 

[Gnske]

Maxwell averaged 130 with the ball between 2016 and 2020 though. he averaged 148 in the games Finch captained! and since 2021 he's back to averaging 37 after starting his career by averaging 35 odd. it's a real chicken or the egg thing, did he suck coz Smith stopped using him or did Smith stop using him coz he started to suck.

Didn't he win an ODI in that 2014 UAE series with a maiden in the 50th over?

Or am I thinking 2018.

 

[Spark]

Didn't he win an ODI in that 2014 UAE series with a maiden in the 50th over?

Or am I thinking 2018.

Oh I rewatched that over recently. Some world class comedy batting, he was bowling nude straight breaks and the Pakistani tail enders were missing them completely.

 

[Starfighter]

Maxwell being black listed and treated like **** by the selectors and Clarke/Smith as captains is definitely true though. Smith even refused to bowl Maxwell in ODIs for a while when he took over as captain

I don't remember Clarke treating him particularly badly (I was younger and didn't really know the off field stuff at the time), but I do remember that from Smith, who essentially used Head in Maxwell's role.

 

[Spikey]

yeah that was 2014

 

[Spark]

I don't remember Clarke treating him particularly badly (I was younger and didn't really know the off field stuff at the time), but I do remember that from Smith, who essentially used Head in Maxwell's role.

Smith was completely inscrutable in how he used part timers though. I don't think that was just a Maxwell thing.

 

[andruid]

Steve Smith carrying his bat as the Windies win in Australia would have won someone loads of cash. Too bad I do not gamble.

 

[social]

Oh I know that bit. But where did you hear that it was because Clarke had a strop and forced him to bat 3?

Somewhere back in the day

Same way it was no secret that he wasn’t Langer’s style of player

 

[Burgey]

Oh I rewatched that over recently. Some world class comedy batting, he was bowling nude straight breaks and the Pakistani tail enders were missing them completely.

Hmmmm.

interesting.

very very interesting

 

[Spark]

Somewhere back in the day

Same way it was no secret that he wasn’t Langer’s style of player

Okay but like does this fall into the "open secret everyone knows" category or the "a speculative guess someone came up with and was passed off as reliable gossip" category. Because we know a lot about what happened behind the scenes during that period of Aus cricket and I never heard about that

 

[Gnske]

Okay but like does this fall into the "open secret everyone knows" category or the "a speculative guess someone came up with and was passed off as reliable gossip" category. Because we know a lot about what happened behind the scenes during that period of Aus cricket and I never heard about that

Same, don't recall that at all. I almost said it could have been a throwaway mention in the Whitewash to Whitewash book but that clearly doesn't work.

 

[Coronis]

Ah Smith. If he’d scored a ton opening I’d have him above Bradman, but sadly not to be.

 

[Spark]

Clarke shoving Maxwell up to 3 was also exactly the sort of thing that Clarke would do and sincerely believe would work. So I just don't buy that he did it out of pique because his mate didn't get picked.

 

[Gnske]

Clarke shoving Maxwell up to 3 was also exactly the sort of thing that Clarke would do and sincerely believe would work. So I just don't buy that he did it out of pique because his mate didn't get picked.

After his India series as well Hughes didn't exactly have the best reputation with any kind of spin bowling, despite his perceptible improvements during it. Plus they probably thought they needed more bowling options after getting slapped in that first test.

 

[Starfighter]

Smith was completely inscrutable in how he used part timers though. I don't think that was just a Maxwell thing.

One thing I do remember about that period was Kerry O'Keeffe criticising Maxwell's bowling, saying he didn't flight the ball enough enough. It was a missed opportunity for someone to say to Skull "mate, you didn't flight, or for that matter, turn, a ball in your entire career. What the **** do you know about it?"

 

[TheJediBrah]

Okay but like does this fall into the "open secret everyone knows" category or the "a speculative guess someone came up with and was passed off as reliable gossip" category. Because we know a lot about what happened behind the scenes during that period of Aus cricket and I never heard about that

It's rubbish because it doesn't even make sense. Batting at 3 in that series was not any harder than batting anywhere else. As I said if anything it probably gave him an opportunity he didn't deserve

 

[ankitj]

Gabba is an unlucky ground for Australia. Why do they even schedule games there?

 

[Qlder]

Whats happened to the Windies thread...fantastic win and it's now 5 pages of some other unrelated crap?