Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has thrown his weight behind Glenn Maxwell, backing the mercurial all-rounder to rediscover his best form at the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026, despite a prolonged lean patch leading into the tournament. Maxwell’s recent numbers make for grim reading, but Ponting believes the biggest stage in world cricket could once again bring out the best in one of Australia’s most unpredictable match-winners.
Maxwell endured a disappointing Big Bash League 2025–26 campaign, scoring just 76 runs across eight innings. His struggles were not limited to the bat either. The Victorian managed only two wickets during the tournament and had an uncharacteristically poor run in the field, spilling several chances at crucial moments. His T20I returns since 2025 have also been modest, with 171 runs from nine innings at an average of 21.37, along with six wickets.
Despite those figures, Ricky Ponting feels a World Cup environment has the potential to flip the switch for Maxwell, who has a history of delivering when it matters most.
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“If the edge starts to come off, it’s hard to find it and replace it. But if anything’s going to bring it out of him, a World Cup will,” Ricky Ponting told The West Australian. “He’s had some pretty amazing moments in World Cups in the past and hopefully for Australia’s sake he can have a few more over the next few weeks.”
Ponting also expects Maxwell to feature in Australia’s playing XI for the opening game of the tournament. The defending champions are drawn in Group B alongside Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and Oman, a group that offers a relatively gentle start. While Ponting admitted Maxwell’s recent form alone would not guarantee selection, he stressed that experience and conditions could tip the scales in his favour.
“You couldn’t pick him on form at the moment because of what everyone else in that squad has done through the BBL,” Ricky Ponting said. “But they’ll pick him because of his experience and probably because of the conditions as well.”
According to Ponting, Maxwell’s value goes beyond runs. His ability to play spin fluently and chip in with overs provides balance, especially in subcontinental conditions.
“He’s probably going to be facing a lot of spin bowling and he’ll give the option to be able to bowl some as well,” Ricky Ponting added. “They’ve got some pretty easy games and that might be just exactly what he needs to get himself into some touch.”
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Drawing from his time coaching Maxwell, Ponting described him as one of the hardest players to predict in world cricket.
“He can have the world’s worst week leading into a game and come out and do something crazy,” he said.
Maxwell has been rested from Australia’s T20I series against Pakistan and will head straight into the T20 World Cup, where Australia begin their campaign against Ireland on February 11 in Colombo. After missing the knockouts in 2024, the Aussies will be desperate for a deeper run—and Maxwell could yet be central to that push.
