Glenn Maxwell : Wasn’t fair to treat Smith, Warner and Bancroft like they were criminals
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has voiced his support for teammates Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft as he said that the manner in which they were treated was not at all right. Matt Renshaw, Joe Burns, and Maxwell were called in to replace the outgoing trio for the fourth Test.
The ‘Sandpapergate’ scandal might have been resolved a few weeks ago, but the memories of the whole saga are sure to stick around in the minds of everyone involved for a long, long time. Glenn Maxwell, a teammate of Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, was someone who saw the immediate repercussions of the actions of the disgraced Australian trio.
Maxwell voiced his support for the trio in a recent interview with Melbourne's Radio SEN Wednesday, as he condemned the manner in which the general public have treated the trio.
"I think the way they saw it, it was obviously beaten up a fair bit and they've seen a couple of their mates treated like criminals. That is a hard thing for you to watch as a teammate, and to what they went through, especially Steve Smith at the airport, that was a hard thing for everyone to watch.
"To then try and get yourself ready for a game of cricket a day later was extremely difficult, and I certainly didn't envy their position at all. It was an extremely tough time for that whole playing group," Maxwell said.
The first immediate consequence of the incident was that it had a big effect on the team as they slumped to a 492-run defeat in the final Test against the Proteas. All-rounder Maxwell arrived along with opening batsmen Matt Renshaw and Joe Burns as the replacements for the fourth Test and he thought he might be able to provide some energy and be a positive influence around the team. But he concluded that it had been harder than he imagined to bring about a positive change.
"I had thoughts of what it could be like, and I hoped I could've provided something different for the group when I got over there, whether it be energy, or just a happy face around the group to try and cheer them up.The enormity struck me at the end of the Test match when Boof (coach Darren Lehmann) had his goodbye speech and spoke about a few players in the group that he hoped could lead the group going forward.
"I think that's when it all hit me and how hard it was for this young group," Maxwell added.
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