Waking up and smelling coffee

Maxwell chats with Smith

CRICKET: Exiled batsman Glenn Maxwell had made good on his pledge to have a face-to-face meeting with Australia captain Steve Smith, sitting down for a coffee with the skipper yesterday afternoon.

The pair came together in Southbank a week after Maxwell was given a public slap from Smith when he was left out of the one-day squad to play England.

It was the second rebuff for Maxwell this summer after he was overlooked for the Test team despite being the incumbent number six batsman and making his maiden century in India in March.

Maxwell was confused by the ODI axing and particularly the comments about his training habits after taking his game to another level this season and topping the Sheffield Shield run table using a new batting technique developed through hours in the nets.

He received support from several peers, too, state and national teammates who said Maxwell’s training had been impeccable and that his batting was better than ever.

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting said Maxwell should have been the automatic replacement for injured Chris Lynn in the one-day team, a spot which went to Victorian Cameron White.

Maxwell took the knock on the chin, however, and said there were “only good intentions” behind the public spray from Smith, denying any talk of a rift between the pair.

“I’ll address that with Steven personally. I’ll have a chat with him,” Maxwell said earlier this week after making 60 off 38 balls for the Melbourne Stars in Adelaide.

“We get along really well. We’ve got a good friendship. I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

The pair chatted amicably in the coffee shop, just hours before Maxwell was to play for the Stars in the Big Bash clash with the Melbourne Renegades.

The choice of White over Maxwell raised eyebrows given the selectors had made clear their desire to start building a squad for next year’s World Cup, when the veteran batsman will be 35.

And Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis said it was time to start “narrowing the focus” on finding the right group to arrest the team’s recent one-day decline.

“Finding a consistent playing group would be number one (priority),” Stoinis said ahead of Sunday’s MCG showdown with England.

“We are building towards the next World Cup, so trying to find the right mix.”