‘Dumbest idea’: Maxwell, Warner disagree over light shows in 2023 World Cup

Following his record-breaking century against the Netherlands, Glenn Maxwell reserved another explosive outpouring – this time off-the-field – as he criticised the mid-match light show organized by the World Cup authorities during Australia’s massive 309-run victory.

Known as ‘The Big Show’ for his aggressive batting, Maxwell wasn’t a fan of the two-minute spectacle that transformed New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley stadium into a virtual nightclub with flashing lights and pulsating beats while the Netherlands were chasing a daunting 400-run target.

Maxwell expressed his dislike for the light show, citing a prior experience at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash game, saying it gave him severe headaches and took time for his eyes to adjust.

“I had something like that light show happen at Perth Stadium during a Big Bash game,” Maxwell said after recording the fastest century in 50-over World Cup history.

“I just felt like it gave me shocking headaches and it takes me a while for my eyes to re-adjust and I just think it’s the dumbest idea for cricketers.

“So I just try and cover up as much as I possibly can and ignore it but it’s a horrible, horrible idea. Great for the fans, horrible for the players.”

On the other hand, his teammate David Warner, who also notched a century in the match against the Netherlands, had a contrasting opinion. Warner, who remains significantly active on his social media platforms, reposted a tweet that quoted Maxwell’s remarks on the lightshow and disagreed with his own teammate.

Warner tweeted, “I absolutely loved the light show, what an atmosphere. It’s all about the fans. Without you all we won’t be able to do what we love.”

Maxwell had earlier mentioned feeling “cooked” due to a sleepless night on the eve of the match after being joined by his family in the Indian capital. “Yeah, not great. I was sitting in the changing room and I didn’t really want to bat, which is a bit different than the last game where I was way too eager to get out there,” said Maxwell, who reached his ton in 40 balls and finished with 106 runs.

“I was a little bit more chilled when I got out there. Didn’t have many high hopes, I think.”

With the win over Netherlands, Australia remain fourth but now have a two-point lead over Pakistan in five matches. While South Africa and New Zealand, second and third respectively, are tied at 8 points, India remains the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far, winning all of their five matches to stay top.