Australia captain Pat Cummins has offered positive news about Glenn Maxwell’s availability for his side’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 semi-final match against South Africa.
Maxwell was rested for Australia’s final group game against Bangladesh last week in the World Cup and had undergone “precautionary” scans on Tuesday.
The all-rounder was still a little bit sore after his record-breaking knock in Mumbai against Afghanistan on 7 November. The player had registered a shocking double century while battling cramps and back spasms.
Cummins has now confirmed Maxwell is “all clear” to play in the semi-final match in Kolkata’s iconic Eden Gardens stadium on Thursday.
The significant development comes as South Africa look to win their first-ever World Cup trophy. They will be up against Australia, that has won the tournament five times.
“Yeah, so Maxi’s (Glen Maxwell) all clear, he’s all good,” Cummins told reporters at a pre-match conference on Wednesday.
“Yeah, just precautionary [scans] so [he’s] still a little bit sore yesterday and yeah, we get scans a lot of the time just to make sure that if there is something there, we know what we’re dealing with,” he said.
“And fortunately, he came back all sweet, so he’s fine.”
The Australian skipper contributed to a remarkable 202-run partnership for the eighth wicket with Maxwell in their innings against Afghanistan.
During their chase of 292, Australia were seven down for 91 runs as Maxwell and Cummins reached the crease.
Battling multiple fitness issues, all-rounder Maxwell smashed 21 fours and 10 sixes as Australia sealed the game with three wickets and 3.1 overs remaining.
A reporter asked Cummins if Maxwell’s knock had inspired the Australian side.
“Yeah, for sure,” he replied.
“I think any moment like that. You know, same with Mitch Marsh’s 170-odd last game. I think in particular Maxwell’s knock when we were right up against it, the game was over, but still one of the boys stood up to find a way to win.
“As a team, you grow an extra leg because you feel like you can win a match from anywhere and having someone like Maxi in your team is just a complete luxury.
“He’s a superstar, he’s a freak, and he can win a game from anywhere. Yeah, pretty glad he’s in our team,” he said.
Both Australia and South Africa finished the group stage of the ongoing World Cup with seven wins and two losses.
The Proteas ended on the winning side after the two teams had earlier faced each other in a match in Lucknow. Batting first, South Africa posted 311 runs on the board before bowling the Australians out for a mere 177 in 40.5 overs.
The first semi-final of the 2023 World Cup between India and New Zealand is due to take place on Wednesday in Mumbai.
The final game is scheduled for Sunday at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
Get the latest odds and tips for the Cricket World Cup semi-final here.
