Hyderabad: Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from international cricket, bringing an end to his 15-year career.
The 38-year-old has also decided to step away from first-class and List A cricket. However, he will continue playing in the Big Bash League (BBL) for Melbourne Stars.
Maxwell’s contract with Melbourne Stars has been extended until the 2027-28 season.
He had already retired from One-Day International (ODI) cricket in June last year. However, he remained available for T20 Internationals and represented Australia at the 2026 T20 World Cup.
Australia failed to progress beyond the group stage. Its final match against Oman in February became Maxwell’s last international appearance.
He claimed two wickets in that match but did not get an opportunity to bat.
Maxwell Reflects on International Retirement
Speaking on the Final Word podcast, Maxwell revealed that he had several discussions about his future before and after the T20 World Cup.
He said there was no pressure from Australia’s team management. Both sides had initially agreed to leave the possibility of his return open.
However, Australia began focusing on younger players ahead of upcoming assignments. Maxwell pointed to opportunities given to emerging players during the Bangladesh series.
The all-rounder also admitted that he had hoped to receive a farewell match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
He said he would have loved to play one final international match in front of his home crowd. However, he understood Australia’s decision to focus on rebuilding the squad.
Maxwell also acknowledged the importance of preparing younger players for international cricket ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Emotional Farewell to Victoria Cricket
Maxwell has continued playing franchise cricket around the world. He led Belfast Wolves to the final of the inaugural European T20 Premier League in September.
Five days later, he represented Victoria in two One-Day Cup matches.
He revealed that informing his Victoria teammates about his retirement from state cricket was more emotional than expected.
Maxwell said his teammates and the state had played an important role throughout his career. He became emotional while addressing the group.
The Australian also explained that he needed to focus more on physical recovery. He wants to remain fit for the remaining franchise tournaments in his career.
Knee Rehabilitation Before BBL Return
Maxwell had considered preparing for Australia’s upcoming white-ball series against England. The series includes a T20 International in Melbourne.
However, he was also preparing for a knee injection to support his recovery ahead of the BBL.
He said the decision to retire from international cricket allowed him to focus on rehabilitation. Maxwell plans to complete eight weeks of intensive recovery before the upcoming BBL season.
He described the possibility of a farewell match at the MCG as a special thought. However, he accepted that his international career had reached its conclusion.
Maxwell’s International Cricket Records
Maxwell represented Australia in 130 T20 Internationals. He scored 2,897 runs at a strike rate of 154.42 and claimed 51 wickets.
He registered five centuries in T20I cricket. This remains a joint world record with former India captain Rohit Sharma, according to the supplied statistics.
Maxwell also played seven Test matches for Australia. His final Test appearance came in 2017.
He scored 339 Test runs, including a highest score of 104 against India in Ranchi.
The all-rounder was part of Australia’s ODI World Cup-winning teams in 2015 and 2023. He also scored the winning runs in the 2021 T20 World Cup final.
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