Glenn Maxwell is no fan of the rule change which allowed him to take one of the catches of the year on Friday at Headingley.
The dashing allrounder fielded a firmly struck ball by Liam Plunkett late in England's three-wicket one-day win over Australia which was destined for six - but, after taking the catch on the rope, Maxwell began falling out of bounds before flinging the ball in the air.
He then stepped out of bounds before regathering his composure to leap back into the field of play and take a left-handed grab to claim a fair catch.
"Obviously, I didn't really want to have to do it but I lost a bit of balance on the boundary line so I thought I had to throw it up," he said.
"And obviously with the law being like it is, (it's OK) to jump from over the rope and back in and catch it in mid-air."
The sheer absurdity of his skill had fans and players alike scratching their heads and wondering if it was in fact legal.
The answer? Had he taken exactly the same catch two years ago, it wouldn't have counted.
It was only a rule change in October 2013 which ensured it stood and Maxwell, who criticised the switch when watching a Big Bash League game in January this year, still remains unconvinced.
The 26-year-old believes the catcher should be required to ground his foot back inside the rope before regathering the ball - much like in basketball or rugby league, and as the old rules dictated.
"I don't think it makes a whole lot of sense," he said.
"I think you should have to get back into the boundary.
"Look at the basketball rule - you have to jump from inside to throw it back in. You can't jump up in the air and catch it on the way back in.
"You've got to make sure your feet have landed inside the court and I think it should be the same in cricket but, while we're taking catches on our side, it doesn't really bother me.
"But I know if I was a batsman, I'd be pretty upset if that was the dismissal but you've just got to play the rules you're given."
Paceman Pat Cummins, the bowler who benefited from Maxwell's stunning outfield catch, admitted not all players had known whether it would stand or not.
But he said the athletic grab highlighted Maxwell's incredible ability.
"It just shows he's got to be up there with the best in the world the way he fields," Cummins said.
"He saves plenty of runs in games, and again, probably kept us in the game with those two catches in the last 10 overs."
Share
