Mike Hesson, director of cricket operations at Royal Challengers Bangalore feels that Glen Maxwell fits in the RCB middle order and also spoke about fellow new acquisition Kyle Jamieson.
Hesson talked about the X-Factor brought by fiery players like Maxwell and AB de Villiers and hopes that the overseas star duo will help RCB post big totals in the 2021 edition of the Indian Premier League. He said,
“Glenn Maxwell is a fantastic player, and he fits what we require in the middle order. We want some X-factor players, that high-impact player we’ve talked about. We’ve just found through the middle overs as an area [to work on], so to have another player of that quality just adds to the likes of AB de Villiers and a two-pronged attack through the middle overs and the back-end.”
The former New Zealand head coach also spoke about Maxwell’s all-round capabilities and what he brings to the squad apart from the runs scored from the bat. He said,
“We just want him to spend a few days amongst his peers, the people he’s going to be batting with to understand that role implicitly. It’s really important we do that. Also, from a bowling point of view, we know he adds some good skills in that area. He’s an amazing fielder, also adds some leadership in terms of how he goes about things.”
Mike Hesson in an RCB jersey
After releasing Chris Morris, the Royal Challengers were in the auction for a fast-bowler who could hit a few big shots with the bat as well and the Bangalore-based side bagged New Zealand’s Kyle Jamieson at a massive price of Rs. 15 crores.
Hesson praised Jamieson ahead of his IPL debut in the season opener against Mumbai Indians and predicts him to come good in his debut IPL season in India. The 46-year old said,
“Certain bowlers thrive in certain conditions. There will be some grounds where the ball will swing and bounce, and in those instances, Jamieson will be deadly in terms of what he can do. Once again, it is a complement of skills in terms of the balance we require on certain days. He is a power-hitter with the bat. That said, we won’t rely on one player, putting out a highly competitive XI will be the key.”