Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag strongly criticized overseas players Glenn Maxwell and Liam Livingstone for their disappointing performances in the 2025 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former cricketer alleged that players like them come to India merely to enjoy holidays and pass the time during the IPL season, rather than contributing meaningfully to their teams.
Both Maxwell (Punjab Kings) and Livingstone (Royal Challengers Bengaluru) were dropped by their respective franchises after a string of poor performances with both bat and ball. They never made any significant impact in this year’s tournament.
The 46-year-old further claimed that the duo lacked hunger and showed no genuine interest in winning trophies for their teams. The Delhi-born cricketer admitted that their focus seemed to be more on partying and having a good time than on improving their form or helping their sides succeed.
“Maxwell, Livingstone have no hunger anymore. They come to India to spend their holidays. It’s not like they love their teams, or that they are passionate about winning games for them. That they have not won a trophy yet and they have to get it done this year,” said Sehwag on Cricbuzz.
“I have played with a lot of overseas players, out of which maybe one or two of them had the hunger. These other guys only talk and do not show any performance on the field,” he added.
Sehwag lauds select overseas stars for passion and professionalism
The right-handed batter praised former overseas stars David Warner and AB de Villiers for their commitment, gameplay, and respect for the ethics of the game. The former opening batter said that players like them were exceptions among foreign cricketers, who always played with intent and passion.
“David Warner, AB de Villiers and Glenn McGrath are the three players who used to tell me, ‘I will win games for you, play me.’ I used to be in a fix about whom to play and whom to drop. But I have seen other players — West Indians, Sri Lankans — who used to ask after the semi-finals, ‘Where’s the party tonight?’ That’s when you get to know who wants to win trophies and who is here to chill,” Sehwag concluded.
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