Both Johnson and Maxwell played an important role in Australia’s Trophy-winning campaign in 2015.
Australia's Glenn Maxwell (R) plays a shot as India's wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni looks on. (Photo: AFP)
Former Australia pacer Mitchell Johnson picked the squad for the upcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cup 2019 that is scheduled to be held in England from 30 May to 14 July later this year.
Johnson, who named Glenn Maxwell as the skipper of his team, feels the 30-year-old has matured as a cricketer after leading Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League (BBL).
“My decision to pick Glenn Maxwell as captain might raise eyebrows. But having played with him both for Australia and in the Indian Premier League, I can say that this polarising cricketer is misunderstood,” Johnson wrote in his column for Perth Now.
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Johnson, the 2015 World Cup winner, further said, “He might not be your typical first-choice captain, though clearly Melbourne Stars have seen something in Maxwell. Leadership has helped him mature, helped to settle him and bring the best out of him.”
“More importantly, Maxwell is a cricket tragic who loves the game and thinks deeply about it,” He added.
Both Johnson and Maxwell played an important role in Australia’s Trophy-winning campaign in 2015.
“I spent a lot of time with Maxwell in the IPL at both Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab and he was always very vocal in team meetings particularly with planning such as fielding positions for certain players. He knows opposition players very well and doesn’t forget much,” Johnson wrote. “He reads the game well and that’s essential for a captain. Maxi is not a leader who will just let things roll on, either. He thinks outside the square. He is 30 now and knows the game inside out.”
Here is the Australia squad as chosen by Mitchell Johnson:
Glenn Maxwell (c), Usman Khawaja (vc), Aaron Finch, David Warner, D’Arcy Short, Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh, Marcus Stoinis, Peter Handscomb (wk), Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc, Jhye Richardson, AJ Tye, Adam Zampa
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