Maxi's major World Cup relief

Allrounder Glenn Maxwell has admitted he was anxiously awaiting the phone call that sealed his selection in Australia’s squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup.

Maxwell, who was dropped from Australia’s Test team following the tour of the UAE against Pakistan and then left out of the ODI XI for one match against South Africa before returning to the side, has passed 50 just twice in his past 17 ODI and T20 matches combined.  

Nonetheless, the National Selection Panel kept faith in the 26-year-old, who is valued both for his X-factor with the bat and his ability to bowl handy off-spin.

But that’s not to say the man himself wasn’t nervous about whether he’d earned a spot in the squad charged with adding to Australia’s record haul of four World Cups.

“You have no idea – I had plenty of doubts,” he told SEN’s Morning Glory program.

“Obviously with the last couple of months I’ve had, I’ve been in and out of different squads, I’ve had so many things going through my head.

“I just wanted that phone call so desperately, and to get it before that Big Bash game was so relieving.

“To be a part of (the World Cup) is just going to be an incredible experience.”

Maxwell smashed 66 off 44 balls against the Renegades

Maxwell, who was outstanding for Melbourne Stars with 66 in their thrilling win over the Renegades last Saturday night, also feels as though critics have been quick to dismiss him after a lean back half to 2014, suggesting that highs and lows were very much a part of a batsman’s lot in Twenty20 cricket.

“I understand people being disappointed in people’s performances, but I think people do have to understand that T20 cricket is such a hit and miss game – you’re not going to score runs even half the time,” he said.

“It’s that sort of game where you’re probably going to come off once in three times … it has been frustrating to have so many people jump down my throat because I’m not making runs, but it’s almost the way T20 cricket goes.”

The big-hitting right-hander did concede that he had begun the KFC T20 Big Bash League carrying too much mental baggage – a situation he discussed in more detail with cricket.com.au last week.

“(My head) was definitely not in the right space,” he explained.

“I was still carrying a few demons in my head from other stuff and I wasn’t really 100 per cent cricket focused at the start of the Big Bash, and as it’s gone through I’ve started to deal with things a little bit better and find ways around that.

“I think when I’m batting my best is when I’m not trying to overdo things … the words ‘clear mind’ is the best way to describe my (mental) state when I’m batting well.”

Quick Single: ‘I got too funky’: Maxwell

Maxwell now shapes as a potential game-changer in Australia’s middle-order during the upcoming Carlton Mid ODI Series, a tournament he insists he’s adequately prepared for despite the recent glut of T20 cricket.

“It’s quite easy to adjust (from T20) back into one-day cricket – I reckon that’s probably the easiest adjustment in cricket,” he added.

“You just find you’ve got so much time, you can relax a little bit more, you can pace your innings a lot better – I just find it a lot easier transition.”