- Glenn Maxwell is fed up with ‘loose-unit narrative’
- Number of off-field incidents haven’t helped his cause
- New book also delves into ‘challenges’ with Steve Smith
Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has strongly denied he has an issue with alcohol – and wants the narrative to change.
Maxwell, 36, addresses the issue in his new book The Showman – and while he acknowledges repeated previous indiscretions haven’t helped, the binge-drinking reputation gets under his skin.
‘(The) loose-unit narrative about me is impossible to disperse,’ Maxwell said in his book co-written with Adam Collins.
‘Do I feel it’s been unfair at times? Yeah. There’s certain incidents when I’ve stuffed up, that’s fair. But when I haven’t stuffed up and I still get judged, that’s where I get a bit frustrated.’
Stretching back to 2022, a number of incidents haven’t helped the perception of the all-rounder.
Be it breaking his leg at a friends 50th birthday party, falling off a golf cart last year at the World Cup or being hospitalised after watching Brett Lee’s band perform in Adelaide.
In Maxwell’s case, mud has stuck.
Maxwell also had to endure his wife Vini’s miscarriage in 2022, and a battle with depression in 2019.
Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has strongly denied he has an issue with alcohol – and wants the narrative to change (pictured, with his wife Vini)
Maxwell addresses the issue in his book The Showman – and while he acknowledges repeated indiscretions haven’t helped, the binge-drinking reputation gets under his skin (pictured, with the ODI World Cup in 2023)
Stretching back to 2022, a number of off-field incidents haven’t helped the perception of the all-rounder (pictured, after beating India in the ICC World Cup final last year)
‘I find it unfair that anything that happens away from the game of cricket, it gets related to alcohol. That’s what I find frustrating,’ he said.
‘Like, if I go for a coffee and slip over on the side of the road and someone goes, ‘Oh Maxwell, another alcohol-related incident.
‘Well it’s 10 in the morning, it’s been raining. ‘Where does it stop?
In an interview with News Corp, Maxwell recalled a 2017 incident in India following a T20 game with Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League.
‘I was at fault. I’d rather not talk about that one,’ he said.
‘I hated that night, that was a bad night. I was scared….trying to get back to the hotel and getting lost in the middle of India.’
Maxwell also discusses his journey from life growing up in suburban Melbourne plus his ‘challenges’ with teammate Steve Smith and former coach Justin Langer.
