BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Batsman Glenn Maxwell is set to return to the Australian side for today’s Tri-Nations Series clash with South Africa, and captain Steve Smith hopes his recent dropping will inspire renewed focus.
The right-hander managed zero and three in his two innings on the first leg of the tournament in Guyana, leaving him with five single digit scores in his last five One-Day Internationals.
And having missed the games in St Kitts last week, Smith hopes the time away would inspire a fresh wave of form.
“He sat out the last couple and hopefully that’s been a bit of a wake-up call for him,” Smith said.
“We know what we want from him, it’s a bit more consistency and that’s what the selectors have told him. He gets an opportunity and hopefully he’ll make the most of that.
“I had a word to him the other day just about clearing his mind and going out there and just playing good cricket shots. I think we’ve seen when Maxi is at his best he’s actually not thinking too much, so it was just reinforcing those messages.”
Maxwell, who comes in for Travis Head, will be one of two changes to the side as left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc also returns to replace pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile.
There was some doubt about Smith’s fitness for the game after he picked up a leg injury recently but he assured he would suit up for the game.
“It’s been a bit sore … I think it’s one of those injuries where I might not be able to go at 100 per cent, but I think I’ll be right for the game,” he said.
“You want to be as close to 100 per cent as you can be, but that’s part of playing international sport, particularly playing cricket for Australia.
“You have to run with it and I think I understand my body a lot better these days and I can manage these little injuries. So hopefully I’ll be ok tomorrow.”
Australia enter the final leg of the series second in the standings on nine points, a point behind leaders South Africa, with West Indies bottom on eight points.
