Ian Healy responds after Usman Khawaja gives away big Glenn Maxwell 'tell' to rival teams

Aussie cricket great Ian Healy has clipped Usman Khawaja after the Test star gave away a massive piece of intel about Glenn Maxwell during Thursday night's rain-reduced T20 opener against Pakistan. Maxwell silenced critics and lived up to his 'Big Show' nickname after putting on an exhibition of big-hitting in a 19-ball 43 to help Australia record a 29-run victory at the Gabba.

Lightning and heavy rain in Brisbane led to lengthy delays before the match was reduced to just seven overs for both sides. The shortened format played into the hands of Maxwell perfectly though after Pakistan won the toss and sent the Aussies in to bat. And it didn't take long for the 36-year-old to enter the fray as opener Jake Fraser-McGurk came and went for a quick-fire nine.

Maxwell was promoted to bat at No.3 and given a license to thrill as the home side looked to score quickly. And the Victorian signalled his intent on the very first ball he faced after choosing to reverse sweep a good length delivery from Shaheen Shah Afridi to the boundary.

The 36-year-old white-ball star pummelled three sixes and five boundaries in his entertaining knock before being undone by an Abbas Afridi short ball and getting caught hooking in the deep. But it was Maxwell's ability to seamlessly change his batting stance and grip during the innings that had fans and commentators in awe.

A large chunk of Maxwell's runs came through boundaries at third man, with the Big Show identifying that he could exploit the area quite easily with reverse scoops. Khawaja and David Warner were discussing Maxwell's brilliance on commentary for Fox Cricket when the former revealed that his countryman has a massive 'tell' when it comes to his premeditated switch-hitting.

Usman Khawaja reveals intel on Glenn Maxwell's switch-hit

Khawaja explained to viewers that Maxwell will keep the bat grounded rather than dangling it in the air if he's about to switch-hit. “That’s his normal (grip and stance for when) he’s gonna slog over mid-wicket or straight or wherever,” Khawaja told Fox Cricket about when Maxwell's bat was in the air. “And the other one is bat down the whole way and reverse lap. I noticed he didn’t do it the first time, but he did do it the second and third time.”

The massive piece of intel could be vital to Pakistan for the rest of the three-match series, as well as other opposition teams he comes up against in the future. And discussing the revelation on SENQ breakfast on Friday, Healy and co-cost Pat Welsh took aim at Khawaja for giving rivals a valuable piece of information about Maxwell's batting that they may not have known.

Ian Healy clips Usman Khawaja over Glenn Maxwell reveal

"They've just given away a state secret haven't they?" Pat Welsh asked on SENQ Breakfast. Healy fired back: "Yes hopefully they got paid well for that state secret!" The Aussie cricket great jokingly suggested that Khawaja should "shut up" before questioning whether bowlers would even be able to pick up on Maxwell's tell and do anything about it in the first place.

"Does the bowler see that, I wonder? The bowler wouldn't have time to see that," Healy surmised. "The bowler can't be running in and seeing whether he's got his bat in the air or not, he's got to concentrate on where he's bowling the ball. So that's a genius if he can see that or sense that."

Maxwell's knock set the platform for the Aussies and Marcus Stoinis finished things off with an unbeaten 21 off seven balls as the hosts reached 4-93. Pakistan required more than 13 an over for victory but were never in the game after Xavier Bartlett (3-13) took two wickets in the second over, and Nathan Ellis (3-9) grabbed two more in the following over to leave Pakistan reeling at 5-16.

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Adam Zampa got in on the action with two wickets in a final where Pakistan needed 41 runs for victory. The 29-run win helped the Aussies bounce back from their shock ODI series defeat to Pakistan, ahead of the second T20 against Pakistan in Sydney on Saturday.