Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from international cricket and state-level red-ball and 50-over competitions for Victoria, concluding a notable career defined by explosive batting, unorthodox strokeplay, and significant tournament successes.
Maxwell revealed his decision on Tuesday during an appearance on a podcast, stating that he is stepping away from international duties across formats as well as domestic four-day and 50-over matches for Victoria. The 38-year-old athlete, widely known by his nickname “The Big Show,” explained that the physical demands of the sport necessitated a change in focus to ensure he can manage his body through the final stages of his career.
“I’m going to be announcing my retirement from international cricket and domestic games for Victoria in the 50 over and the four-day stuff, red ball completely,” Maxwell said on the podcast episode released Tuesday. He added that the transition is timed to allow him “to spend a little bit more time investing in the body to make sure I can get through the remaining couple of tournaments I’ve got in my career.”
Over the course of his international career, Maxwell represented Australia in 149 One Day Internationals, 130 Twenty20 Internationals, and seven Test matches. His contributions played a central role in several major tournament victories for the national side, including Australia’s 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup championship runs, as well as the team’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2021.
Statistically, Maxwell accumulated 3,990 runs in ODI competition and 2,897 runs in T20 internationals, while also capturing 128 wickets across the two limited-overs formats with his off-spin bowling. In T20 international cricket, he achieved a historic milestone shared only with India’s Rohit Sharma, becoming one of just two players to notch five centuries in the format. His final appearance in an Australian shirt came against Oman during the T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka in February.
Although Maxwell had previously stepped away from ODI cricket last year, he harbored ambitions of earning a final farewell appearance for the national team at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. However, those hopes were dashed on Monday when selectors named the squad for the upcoming series against England, opting instead to direct their short-format planning toward younger players.
Addressing the selection decision, Maxwell acknowledged his initial aspirations while expressing understanding for the direction taken by the national panel. “There was, I suppose, a small hope or discussion that I might have been able to potentially get a send-off game at the MCG, but I can completely understand the direction they’re going with this squad,” he noted.
