Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, bringing an end to a high-scoring and unconventional career after his hopes for a home-soil farewell were set aside by national selectors prioritizing youth.
Widely known by the moniker “The Big Show” for his rapid scoring pace and unconventional strokeplay, Maxwell established himself as one of the most dynamic limited-overs batters of his generation. Over his international tenure, he featured in 149 one-day internationals, 130 Twenty20 internationals, and seven test matches for Australia. His contributions on the global stage helped secure three major world titles for his country: the 50-over World Cups in 2015 and 2023, along with the T20 World Cup crown in 2021.
Speaking on an episode of The Final Word podcast released on Tuesday, the 38-year-old confirmed he is stepping away from international duties and ending his red-ball and 50-over domestic career with Victoria. “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. He added that the transition arrives at a moment when he needs to manage his physical condition, noting, “It’s probably a time where I probably need 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.”
Across his limited-overs output, Maxwell accumulated 3,990 runs in ODIs and 2,897 runs in T20 internationals. His final appearance for the national side came against Oman during the T20 World Cup held in Sri Lanka in February. Alongside India’s Rohit Sharma, Maxwell stands as one of only two players to record five international centuries in T20 cricket. In addition to his batting exploits, he contributed 128 wickets in short-format matches using his off-spin bowling.
Maxwell had previously retired from one-day internationals last year. He acknowledged harboring lingering hopes for a final international appearance at his home ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground, during an upcoming series against England this month. However, those prospects evaporated when selectors named the squad on Monday.
“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,” Maxwell said regarding the selection decision.
