No mincing words in Maxwell's call-up

Updated December 29, 2012 14:12:20

Uncapped Australian squad member Glenn Maxwell said national selector John Inverarity did not beat around the bush when he rang with the biggest news of the Victorian all-rounder's career on Friday.

Maxwell was named yesterday as a replacement for injured vice-captain Shane Watson in a 13-man squad for the dead rubber third Test against Sri Lanka at the SCG starting on January 3.

The 24-year-old told Grandstand that he was caught off-guard by the phone call but was grateful that Inverarity did not mince words when breaking the news to him.

"He actually said it straight away, he said 'G'day Glenn, I've got some good news for you, you're in the squad for the Sydney Test'," Maxwell laughed.

"He didn't really beat around the bush, he got straight to it, released the good news straight away.

"It was a good phone call to get, he released the nerves pretty quickly."

Maxwell had just returned from Adelaide where his Big Bash team the Melbourne Stars had beaten the Strikers by eight runs the night before.

Despite the gravity of the situation, Inverarity's phone call did not make Maxwell deviate from the plans he had already made.

"I was just getting ready to pack my car to go have a round of golf with my brother," he said.

"I went outside, took the call and came back in and dad was over the moon, I sort of had a little moment to myself and then spent the next three and a half hours whacking a little white golf ball around trying to clear my head of what just happened.

"It was pretty incredible."

Maxwell, a right-handed batsman who bowls off breaks, averaging 42.00 and 33.81 respectively in red-ball cricket, felt his Sheffield Shield form could have started better.

But he said his form has been on the rise since his selection for Australia A against South Africa in November and the Chairman's XI tour match with Sri Lanka earlier this month.

"I feel like I've been okay this year, I probably haven't had my best start to the season," he admitted.

"Last year I started of the [Sheffield] Shield season with runs in Sydney and runs in Melbourne pretty consistently.

"The Champions League [Twenty20] upset the start of my season and I missed a few Shield games [which is] probably a bit regrettable now.

"But obviously I've made up for it by being picked for the Aussie A and the Chairman's XI game where I played pretty well.

"I think I've hit form at the right time so hopefully I've hit form perfect for this Sydney Test match if I get picked."

Maxwell will head to Sydney on Monday to join the rest of the squad, which is loaded with bowling options that leave Australian selectors spoilt for choice.

Mitchell Starc will be champing at the bit after being left out of the side that won in under three days in Melbourne despite his match-winning performance in the first Test in Hobart last week.

But Jackson Bird bowled well on debut at the MCG, Mitchell Johnson's man-of-the-match efforts with bat and ball will be impossible to overlook and Peter Siddle will be in good shape after only bowling 14 overs in the innings and 201-run win.

Look back: Second Test, Day Three as it happened

Tags: cricket, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia

First posted December 29, 2012 14:12:20

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Samuels wins war of words

Updated May 26, 2012 20:42:14

West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels provided the perfect riposte to verbal taunts from England's James Anderson by hitting a century to turn the tide of the second Test.

The tourists were in trouble at 4 for 63 on the first day at Trent Bridge when Samuels came to the crease and were still struggling at 6 for 136 when he was joined by West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

But Samuels responded with 107 not out, his third Test century, while Sammy made an unbeaten 88 as West Indies recovered to 6 for 304 at stumps, having gone 1-0 down in this three-match series after a five-wicket loss at Lord's.

Samuels and Sammy's unbroken stand of 168 was a new West Indies seventh-wicket record in Tests against England, surpassing the 155 shared by Garry Sobers, arguably cricket's greatest all-rounder, and Bernard Julien at Lord's in 1973.

Samuels said West Indies great Vivian Richards had told him he could make a double hundred in this match - as Richards did himself in posting 232 in the Trent Bridge Test of 1976.

"I always get encouragement from Mr Michael Holding (Samuels's fellow Jamaican and one of West Indies' best fast bowlers of all-time) and this morning Sir Viv said I could make a double (hundred) here," he said.

As Samuels, who has now batted for nearly five hours, gained the upper hand a frustrated Anderson, who had rocked the West Indies with two early wickets, tried to unsettle him with a few choice words.

"When I get that double century tomorrow (Saturday) I'd like James Anderson to come and say something to me," said a bullish Samuels.

"To be honest, I haven't found too many bowlers who can bowl and talk but I can bat and talk all day.

"He is one who gets frustrated very easily so he needs to be stronger."

Samuels was more conciliatory when he saw Anderson arrive in the press conference room.

"He's out there now, looking at me," said a smiling Samuels. "He's a very good guy. In the last game at Lord's he was a bit frustrated but I told him 'you're still my favourite bowler'.

"I told him the same thing today, no matter what he said."

Anderson revealed he'd been spoken to by umpire Aleem Dar about his conduct but insisted he'd not over-stepped the mark.

"It just built up and there were a couple of lbws that could have gone either way. Things can get a little bit out of hand but I wasn't saying anything that bad I don't think.

"He (Dar) told me to stop talking and that if I got caught on camera I'd probably get a punishment.

"You're trying to win a game of cricket for your country and take 10 wickets. I think you need to be aggressive and angry at times and it can build up."

Anderson added there was nothing to stop England following Samuels and Sammy's example.

"They played patiently and if people play patiently on that pitch you can bat for a very long time."

AFP

Tags: sport, cricket, england, jamaica

First posted May 26, 2012 08:43:59

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