Maxwell happy with crackdown on illegal actions

Glenn Maxwell, the Australia allrounder, is happy about the ICC crackdown on illegal bowling actions, and has said that even though it has come "too late," the game will now have more conventional offspinners.

"I'm actually quite happy that they've started doing it," Maxwell told PakPassion.net. "I think it's actually started to happen a bit too late. It seems to have been going on for too long and it's something that's been talked about a lot in quite a few changing rooms and in the media as well.

"Now we are going to see a lot more conventional offspinners doing the job in international cricket which I think is good for the game and it levels the playing field again and hopefully it stays that way."

The ICC has reported and subsequently banned international bowlers Sachithra Senanayake, Saeed Ajmal, Kane Williamson, Prosper Utseya and Sohag Gazi since July this year. Sunil Narine, Mohammad Hafeez, Adnan Rasool, Suryakumar Yadav and Prenelan Subrayen were also reported for suspect actions in the Champions League T20 in India.

Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, had also recently supported the crackdown, saying suspect actions had been allowed "for way too long."

Maxwell bowled Australia to victory in the third ODI against Pakistan with a double-wicket maiden in the last over with two runs to defend. He is part of the squad for the two Tests as well but said that he had not done enough in the ODIs to make the Test XI. Apart from his match-winning 76 in the second ODI, Maxwell made 20 and 21 in the other two matches.

"Yes, it would be nice to get a call-up but I don't think I've quite done enough in the one-day series against Pakistan to warrant a call-up to the Test side. I think I've missed a couple of opportunities to make a big score and push my name forward for selection, but you never know as the conditions will suit an off-spinning allrounder and hopefully I can find my way into the starting XI. It's an extremely strong line-up though, but fingers crossed."

Maxwell may not necessarily find a place in the batting order, but if allrounder Mitchell Marsh is unfit for the first Test, and Australia need an extra spinner, Maxwell has an outside chance.