After being bought for a record sum by Mumbai Indians, Glenn Maxwell should be a happy man back home in Australia. When several youngsters and upcoming players in the current auction went unsold or were bought for a small price, Maxwell should consider himself lucky for being the most privileged buy in the IPL auction.
That fact that his name was discussed before the auction and was keenly contested by two teams before roped in by Mumbai must be flattering for the youngster.
Although Maxwell had a poor T20 World C’ship, his team owner believes in his potential. “Maxwell is an upcoming youngster. He can bat and bowl spin, besides being a great fielder. Mumbai Indians wanted a young all-rounder and that’s why we picked him,” said Nita Ambani, owner of Mumbai Indians.
Nita also revealed Maxwell’s choice was not a sudden decision. “We thought of some names before coming for the auction and Glenn was one of them,” added Nita. Former Indian cricketer WV Raman states that Mumbai would have seen some potential in Maxwell before paying the record sum. “No one picks a player in haste. They (Mumbai) should have seen some potential in Maxwell. He should have fitted their requirement,’’ said WV Raman.
The former Daredevils player has the support of mentor Anil Kumble. “Maxwell is an exceptional talent and it will be exciting to see him play,” said Kumble.
Raman adds as a bit of caution and states that both the player and the franchise should not get carried away as players picked for a huge sum in the past have failed to live up to their expectation. “Players who have been picked for a fancy price in the past be it Yusuf Pathan or Michael Clarke have not set the IPL on fire with their performances. I hope Maxwell breaks this jinx,” he said.