Maxi identifies reason for slump

Glenn Maxwell says the emotional high of Australia’s World Cup win has contributed to his form slump for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League this season.

Australia won their fifth Cricket World Cup in March in emphatic style, crushing an unbeaten New Zealand side by seven wickets at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Maxwell was named in the official International Cricket Council team of the tournament after he starred with both bat and ball for the champions, including a blistering 51-ball century against Sri Lanka – the fastest one-day international century by an Australian. 

Maxwell's marvellous World Cup

But since Maxwell, Michael Clarke and his teammates lifted the holy grail of one-day cricket last month, the dynamic allrounder has registered scores of seven, six, 15 and 33 to begin the eighth season of the world’s most lucrative domestic T20 tournament.

“It’s hard to have a tournament (so soon) and come down from the high of the World Cup,” Maxwell told cricket.com.au.

“Having such an amazing time and winning that World Cup, it’s hard to start a new tournament straight after it and still carry on that momentum.

“That’s the biggest challenge we have to face at the moment.”

Maxwell’s slow start is in stark contrast to how the Victorian kicked off his IPL campaign 12 months ago, when he lit up the tournament with scores 95, 89 and 95 in his first three outings.

While Maxwell and Kings XI launched into the 2014 season with a full head of steam, the George Bailey-led outfit failed to finish the job, losing the final to Kolkata Knight Riders.

“I’m trying to do it a different way this year and hopefully peak at the right time at the tournament, hopefully hit my straps a little bit later on,” teased Maxwell.

Both Maxwell and Kings XI had a breakout season in IPL 7. A year prior, Kings XI finished sixth while Maxwell found it difficult to break into a star-studded Mumbai team, playing only five matches and watching on as his team lifted the trophy at season’s end.

A year later, Kings XI finished top of the table after the group stage and Maxwell was named the tournament’s Most Valuable player for the first time.

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Maxwell seeing the lighter side in the World Cup // Getty Images

But now the hunters have become the hunted, and Maxwell says opposition line-ups have done their homework to counter his unorthodox approach, as Kolkata Knight Riders fast bowler Umesha Yadav said following his side’s win over Kings XI.

“It’s been a tough start,” Maxwell said.

“Teams have come up with some different plans to me this year and possibly I haven’t gone with my batting plan at the same time.

“Combining those two things it hasn’t been the ideal start, but last game was a sign I’m starting to get back in to it and get back in to the swing of things.”

And Maxwell says a lack of discipline has contributed to Punjab’s modest start this season, going away from the successful game plans that made them a powerhouse 12 months ago.

“We’ve seen a little bit of mediocrity with our totals and even our bowling and we’ve seemed to have gone away from the team plan in certain stages, which we never did last year.

“Last year we were very strict with our plans and stuck to them which is why we were so successful.

“This year we seem to be a tiny bit lazy, a tiny bit undisciplined as far as our shot making and bowling selections as well.”

The world will see if Maxwell and his side can stick to their guns when they tackle Shane Watson, Steve Smith, James Faulkner and the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals tonight.