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'Sehwag Forced Playing XI' - Glenn Maxwell Accuses Ex-Punjab Mentor Of Being Dictator

Akshita Patel

Glenn Maxwell recalls dark times as KXIP captain in his book (source @IPL, @BCCI)Glenn Maxwell recalls dark times as KXIP captain in his book (source @IPL, @BCCI)

Glenn Maxwell's tenure with Kings XI Punjab (now known as Punjab Kings) as captain was spiteful as his relations with then mentor Virender Sehwag deteriorated after the latter allegedly forced his decisions upon the team. As reported by Insidesports, Maxwell revealed in his book that Sehwag was disrespectful, a dictator and blamed him for the team's failure.

Punjab Kings (formerly known as Kings XI Punjab) has never won an IPL trophy despite being a part of the franchise league since its inception in 2008. Over the years, they experimented enough with captaincy, with Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell also trying his hand at leadership in 2017. That year, the team finished outside the playoffs and their mixed season was apparently a result of a toxic dressing room environment. 

Glenn Maxwell exposes Virender Sehwag in his book

Insidesports reported that Glenn Maxwell made a startling revelation in his book "The Showman" related to then mentor Virender Sehwag. The Aussie accused Sehwag of forcing his playing XI by blatantly rejecting the captain and other coach's suggestions. 

He even refused to be in a WhatsApp group for healthy discussions. Not only that, Sehwag allegedly demotivates players, including Maxwell, who was deemed a disappointment by the former cricketer after Punjab was knocked out of the playoffs.

“When it came to selection, I thought it might be a good idea to bring the coaches into a WhatsApp group to make our decisions. Everyone agreed to this and shared their teams, with the exception of Sehwag. At the end of the process, he made it clear that he would pick the starting XI, end of story,” Maxwell said.

Maxwell went on to add that Punjab's head coach in 2017, J Arunkuma, was just a namesake as Sehwag pulled the strings from behind the scenes. He controlled decision making and when Maxwell tried to confront him, he was told that Sehwag "Doesn't need a fan like him."

The tensions led to negative impact on the team and hence as captain Glenn Maxwell tried to flag the mentor's toxic behaviour to the franchise ownership but his plea fell on deaf ears and he eventually ended his tenure with the team after the 2017 season. Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag was also sacked as mentor a year after Maxwell departed.