Australia call up Maxwell late for their World Cup clash with Bangladesh

BENGALURU (Reuters) – Australia will make a late decision on Glenn Maxwell’s fielding in their World Cup match against Bangladesh after the bowler suffered severe cramps in an improbable win over Afghanistan, bowling coach Daniel Vettori said on Friday.

Maxwell suffered cramps in his calf, leg, hamstring and toes before suffering back spasms in Mumbai on Tuesday, but he made two centuries to help Australia overcome the Asian side and reach the semi-finals, where they will face South Africa.

“He’s definitely been in full recovery mode the last few days. We’ve all seen the effects of the innings, especially the heat. So I think today is a great day, see how he’s coping,” Vettori told reporters before Saturday’s pool match. Pune.

“Obviously we’ve had a few days off so there hasn’t been any training. He’s not here today but we’ll see how he feels as the day goes on. Obviously the last few days have been very stressful for him.”

Vettori said Maxwell, who smashed 40 against the Netherlands earlier in the event, will not undergo a fitness test for the Bangladesh match.

“That will be how he feels,” Vettori added. “We now know that the semi-finals will be very crucial in Kolkata on November 16, and this will be a build towards that.

“He has a track record of being able to bounce back very quickly even with some time away from the game. So it will depend on how the day goes… Being an everyday game probably means tonight they will make the decision.”

Bangladesh exited the semi-finals and entered the match seeking victory to consolidate its position in the top eight to qualify for the 2025 Champions Cup in Pakistan, but its coach, Chandika Hathurusinghe, is aware of the challenge that awaits her.

“They (Australia) are the most successful team in the history of the World Cup,” said Hathurusinghe, whose team is currently ranked eighth in the standings. “They are a good team, very professionally prepared and playing good cricket.

“They started slow but they qualified (to the semifinals). So yeah, playing against them is a big challenge.”

Bangladesh will be without skipper Shakib Al Hasan, who was replaced by Anamol Haq Bijoy in the team after breaking his finger during their win over Sri Lanka last time out.

“When you have someone of Shakib’s caliber, who is the number one all-rounder, it is two players in one, so it is difficult to do much with this group,” Hathurusinghe said.

“So we will definitely want to fill the bowling void with another bowler or a fast bowler. We will miss his batting and leadership.”

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