Sharjah: He has taken the IPL by storm with a couple of brutal knocks but Kings XI Punjab's Australian import Glenn Maxwell says the mayhem that he causes with his bat is merely a bit of luck and his ability to "manipulate" fielders.
Maxwell steered Kings XI Punjab to a second successive win on Sunday when he struck a blazing knock of 89 which came off 45 deliveries. This came after a his 95-run onslaught against Chennai Super Kings in his team's tournament-opener.
"You don't expect to make two big scores like that in a row and I have had a bit of luck as well. Hopefully, the luck stays with me and I can keep making some big scores," Maxwell told IPL's official website.
"I actually try to manipulate the fielders as much as I can. It depends on the bowler and the size of the boundary, which I try to target. I targeted the short boundary tonight and the wicket was holding up when they bowled slower balls. "At the moment, I have got something that is working for me and I am going to keep trying to do that as much as I can. It is just about batting the way you think you bat best and that is what I am trying to do," he added.
The all-rounder said he has so far enjoyed the pressure of chasing down huge totals. "We have won chasing two big totals and we are pretty happy to be where we are at the moment. At the same time, we still have a lot to work in the nets. Our bowling and fielding has not been up to the mark in the first two games, but it is nice that the batting group can save them and get us over the line," he said.
I don't get burdened by pressure. Pressure is something that you put on yourself. I put pressure on myself before a game or before I go out to bat. But once when I go out there to bat, I just enjoy it and have a little bit of fun. I look at the total and take it from there." Maxwell said he felt frustrated when he could not complete the job and got out after bringing the team close to victory.
"I did think (David) Miller will finish the game for us. With Miller and George Bailey to come, I thought we still had enough fire power to finish the job." "I was frustrated when I got out since the job was still half done and I felt I should have been there to get those runs. It is frustrating to get out in both the games and not finish it when the winning runs are definitely there for the taking," Maxwell said.
Asked which of his two knocks so far would be rated higher by him, Maxwell said. "I would rate this one higher than the one that I played against Chennai Super Kings." "It was a slow outfield, and the bowling attack I was facing was more challenging. They bowled well according to the conditions and I felt this one was a bit more under pressure. I would rate both these innings at the top two of my list in my T20 career."
Asked who among the current crop of batsmen does he consider an attractive strokemaker, Maxwell chose South African A B de Villiers. "I feel AB de Villiers is one of the best. He is a very clever batsman. He steps around the crease and keeps his head still. He is probably the one who is the most clever when it comes to hitting in different areas and manipulating the bowlers," he said.
"He has hundreds in almost all formats and is a superstar of the game. He is someone who I look up to and is one of my favourite cricketers to watch. I still have a long way to go to get to anywhere near his standards," he signed off.
