Maxwell eyes proving his critics wrong

Australia batsman Glenn Maxwell has at last broken his silence over the constant criticism he has faced in the last few months over his "impetuous" style of play. Maxwell has a propensity of playing high-risk shots very early into his innings and that has often been his undoing. However, the 26-year-old changed his fortunes around in Australia's Carlton Mid Tri-Series triumph recently by registering career-best performances in the final against England in both batting (95) and bowling (4 for 46). Ahead of the first official ICC World Cup warm-up between Australia and India at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday, Maxwell spoke at length about what he thought of the criticism from the media and the fans alike. "I took different criticism to heart, I didn't let all of it miss me," he said. "I like to think I'm quite laid back and I can cop criticism but sometimes it hits pretty close to home and you sometimes think it's a personal attack on you. "People are saying I'm an egocentric show-off who doesn't care for the team, sometimes that hurts and don't really understand that. "For anyone who knows me, I'm not like that at all. "Every time I've ever played for whatever team, I've always tried to win the game for the team and have the team's best interests at heart. "Some people might not think so. Some people might think that all the different shots are me trying to stand out which is complete rubbish and that's the hardest thing to deal with, I think. "When people have a crack at you for being something different, apart from the team. "I don't want to be known as 'Big Show' or anything like that. "I just want to be known as an integral part of Australian cricket, that's hopefully going to take us to a World Cup." Maxwell was the butt of all jokes after he got bowled in a bizarre fashion in a KFC Big Bash League match in December last year. He charged out of the crease and then at the last minute decided to leave the ball and lost his stumps. The batsman, who has turned the corner since, admitted the criticism has made him check certain shots, especially in the early part of his innings. "What people are starting to understand is that the reverse sweep is as normal a shot as it can be," Maxwell said. "I just delay playing it now until I feel like it's acceptable or else they [his critics] are going to say 'oh, what's he doing., he's doing something strange?'." George Bailey, who captains Australia in ODIs whenever regular skipper Michael Clarke has been unavailable, backed Maxwell, saying it was jealousy that drove people to criticise the extravagant batsman. "I think most people are jealous that he can do a lot of things that they can't cricketers and non-cricketers," Bailey said on Saturday. "Certainly as a player and as someone who thinks about the game a lot, and probably over-thinks it personally, [I believe that] for someone to have the freedom and the balls to play the game they want it to be played there should be nothing but admiration. "Within that comes responsibilities, but Maxy knows that as well as anyone and doesn't need everyone telling him that if he does that he stays in the team and if he doesn't then, he doesn't. "I think if you have a look at his record and more and more if you give him an opportunity and responsibility he responds really well. "That's in my experience having played with him a little bit in India as well."