Johnson leaps to Maxwell's defence

Former Australia fast-bowler Mitchell Johnson says Glenn Maxwell is suffering from a similiar public misperception that dogged Shane Watson throughout his career.

Maxwell has carried the moniker of 'The Big Show' for most of his international career, with his harshest critics claiming the allrounder is more interested in audacious stroke play than performances of substance.

The attacking right-hander has spoken about his desire to change the public's perception and has made some significant strides in recent years; he's averaged almost 45 in his past 20 one-day internationals, where he's found stablity batting at No.5 in the order, while he averaged 56 in six Sheffield Shield matches last summer.

He also made some handy contributions batting in the middle order during Australia's unsuccessful World T20 campiagn earlier this year, passing 20 in four innings without pushing on to a match-winning score.

But the criticism has continued and the doubters have been vocal again in recent weeks after he made a slow start to the Indian Premier League for Kings XI Punjab, where he's fallen for single figure scores five times in seven innings, low totals off-set by scores of 32no and 56.

Johnson, Maxwell's long-time teammate with Australia and the Kings XI, says the 27-year-old is misunderstood, much like Watson was during his 14-year career for Australia.

"People don’t realise how committed he is to the team and how much he wants to win," Johnson said of Maxwell in his column for News Corp.

"The perception of him is similar to Shane Watson. He’s seen so differently by the public to what he is actually like.

"Every time Maxy goes onto the field he wants to win the game, he wants to do it himself and he will do everything that he can to make that happen.

"He backs himself to play unconventional shots, something that not everybody likes. But that’s what Twenty20 cricket is about, that’s what it has brought the game. It’s brought it entertainment and he’s an entertaining player.

"When it comes off everyone raves about it for days, but when it doesn’t – like against the Kolkata Knight Riders - they’ll sledge him and say that it was a bad shot. But he doesn’t care; he just wants to play the brand of cricket that he loves to play.

"Once it clicks you’re going to see something different from Maxy."

Earlier this year, Maxwell spoke openly about how the public criticism has hurt him in recent years and how he was working hard to change opinions.

After posting a match-winning 96 from 83 balls in a difficult run chase during an ODI against India at the MCG, he conceded it would be a long road before his unorthodox style was accepted by everyone.

"It's going to be a slow grind and I'm going to have to change a lot of people's perceptions about how I'm seen," he said.

"I'm hoping with some more innings like that people might start to forget about the stupid nicknames and that sort of thing and the hype and the trick shots.

"It's something I'm trying to change and it's something I'm really working on.

"(The criticism is) probably more difficult just in the street and in public when people yell something out.

"It's something I've probably dealt with a lot better early on than more recently, when I feel like I've made big strides and played well in (Sheffield) Shield cricket.

"I feel like I've done some good things in first-class cricket and I still can't shake it and I think that's more when it hurts and it gets to you.

"But it's not going to be an overnight thing. It's going to be a long process to show that I'm ready for the longer version and hopefully in the next few years I can really show that and find a way back into the Test team."