It was the first delivery of the fifth over of Rajasthan Royals innings and Tom Kohler-Cadmore pulled it into the air. The batter didn’t make the desired connection and Glenn Maxwell, stationed in the deep square-leg region, took few steps to his left but failed to hold on to what was a regulation catch.
He threw the ball back in disgust and jogged back to his usual position with embarrassment & disappointment all over his face. The evening got off to a horrendous start for Maxwell as he was dismissed for a golden duck and the drop catch just summed up his day, and even the tournament.
In 9 innings this season, Maxwell scored just 52 runs at a horrible average of 5.77 and was dismissed for a duck on four occasions.
Maxwell has been a big disappointment and even his odd good spell with the ball – which helped him pick six wickets – hasn’t been enough to cover up for his worst season in the cash-rich league.
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After a poor start – 32 runs from six games – Maxwell decided to take an indefinite “physical and mental” break and returned to action after a gap of over two weeks for the away fixture vs Gujarat Titans.
The break didn’t change anything as Maxwell managed just 20 runs from his next three innings and remained a burden for the side.
“Maxi’s (Maxwell) had a tough season, absolutely. And we know what he can contribute. So it’s been a really tough season for him. He’s had an amazing couple of years actually. So it was a surprise to everyone. But I really wish him well.
“He’s going to the World Cup now. And I don’t see any reason why he can’t turn this around or turn his own personal form around in the World Cup for Australia. And I look forward to watching that,” coach Andy Flower said at the post-match presser.
Maxwell’s dismissal in the Eliminator has attracted a lot of criticism and many former cricketers have termed it a “brain fade” moment.
The decision to go for the big hit off the first ball of his innings came as a surprise to many because the right-hander has struggled to put bat to ball this season and spending time in the middle could have been the ideal approach.
More than misfiring Maxwell, it was Will Jacks’ absence which hurt RCB more.
The right-hander played eight games before returning home for national duty and scored 230 runs, including a hundred and a half-century, and enjoyed a strike-rate of 175.57.
Many former India cricketers have been very critical of England players not being available for the playoffs but coach Flower feels it’s a problem in other leagues too due to the international cricket calendar.
“It is a bit of a problem that the cricket world and the cricket calendar has at the moment. We saw at the Big Bash recently a lot of the overseas players left before the playoffs and finals, and it really devalued their tournament to a certain extent.
“In the ILT20 as well, you saw a lot of coming and going with people that had finished in the SA20 and then came in even just for the finals of the ILT20. And I think competitions have to be careful about that, because the integrity of the competition is really important. With a World Cup just around the corner, it’s very difficult,” said Flower.
The experienced coach understands why England wanted their players back before the T20 World Cup but RCB losing Jacks in the business “was a pity”.
“I completely understand why England wanted to recall those players. If I’d been an England coach, I think I would have been doing the same. So they are conundrums for the game. That have to be ironed out. I’m not sure how, with the busyness of the calendar at the moment. But it is a pity.
“Will Jacks really hid his straps with us. He enjoyed his tournament with us, and we enjoyed his power at number three, obviously. So it was a pity not to have him. But Cameron Green stepped into those shoes really well. Did really well for us. Batting in a preferred position for him, actually,” said Flower.
Jacks checked out of the IPL just when RCB wanted him the most but what pulled the team down more was the weight of a misfiring Maxwell.
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