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World Cup Central: I've never hit the ball better - Maxwell
Glenn Maxwell almost throws himself off his feet Getty Images
Previous World Cup Central entries: May 24-June 5 | June 6-June 18 | June 19-July 3
Glenn Maxwell feels he is hitting the ball as well as any stage of his career and is confident a telling score is around the corner after not quite being able to find lift-off during the group stage.
Maxwell has scored quickly - with a strike-rate of 190 - but not for very long, making just 143 runs in eight innings ahead of facing South Africa. He threatened against India when the asking rate was steep, struck an unbeaten 46 off 25 balls against Sri Lanka and was cutting lose against Bangladesh with 32 off just 10 balls before being run out.
"I feel like I haven't hit the ball better in my career, I just haven't got the runs," he said. "It's been nice to be relaxed when I got out into the middle, just runs probably haven't come the way I would have liked but sure they aren't far away. If I was out form and out of runs I'd be a bit more nervous but feel I hit the ball in the middle the other day [against New Zealand] then got one on the toe end, so I'm not too worried. I've been training really well so a big one not far away."
Maxwell, who spent a month in county cricket with Lancashire before the World Cup instead of going to the IPL, won't be changing any of his routines ahead of the semi-final.
"I feel like I've been able to play my role over different times. Over the last two or three games I just haven't got away and the first bit of bad luck seems to go against you - against Bangladesh I was run out when I was hitting them as well as I ever have and from then it's been a bit tough going. It's just about not over complicating it and clouding your head even further."
