Ricky Ponting backs Glenn Maxwell to replace Chris Lynn

Australia’s newly-announced T20I assistant coach Ricky Ponting believes Glenn Maxwell is the best suited to replace Chris Lynn who has been ruled out of the series with a calf injury. Australia will play a five-match series against England which will begin on January 14.

Maxwell was omitted from the ODI squad announced last week, with national selector Trevor Hohns citing his poor show in recent times as the primary reason for it. Skipper Steven Smith also admitted that Maxwell should train a bit smarter in order to regain his spot.

“Just looking at the way he trains, I think he could train a little bit smarter. We’ve all seen the way he can come out and play and do all his funky stuff and be pretty cool with that, but when he puts his head down he’s actually a really good batsman, as we’ve seen in Shield cricket – he’s got some big runs there,” Smith said.

I would put him back into the squad

Chris Lynn had scans on Saturday after picking up a calf injury in a BBL match at the Gabba on Friday night and Cricket Australia has announced the 27-year-old will miss the ODIs against England this month. The national selectors have not declared the replacement yet but Ponting feels Maxwell is the right man to fill the spot. Maxwell notched up a quickfire 60 from just 39 balls for Melbourne Stars in tonight’s Big Bash clash against Adelaide.

“I would put him back into the squad. There was a lot made when he was left out, the chairman of selectors and Steve Smith laid it on the line pretty clearly what they wanted to see from him,” Ponting said in Network Ten commentary when the all-rounder was pulling the Stars out of a hole they had gotten themselves into.

“So you would like to think he has listened to all that – he knows what he has to do now when he goes back into that squad. An opportunity has presented itself earlier than what Maxwell might have thought if they actually go ahead and pick him,” he added.

Ponting further admitted that there is no better batsman than him in Australia to take up the place.

“If you think about the current team, Steve Smith will bat at three, Travis Head at four, Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh or (Marcus) Stoinis in that five-six sort of area,” he remarked.

Responding to Ponting’s backing when interviewed on the sideline following his entertaining knock, Maxwell said, “I certainly have the hunger to get back in there, but my main job right now is to score runs for the Melbourne Stars and I’m trying to do that at the moment. (Ponting is) an absolute legend, one of my childhood idols and someone I’ve always looked up to. So it’s great to hear him supporting me,” he concluded.