SYDNEY:Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after being overlooked for the upcoming Twenty20 series against England, ending a career in which his explosive batting and unconventional strokeplay made him one of the most entertaining players of his generation.
The 38-year-old, nicknamed ‘The Big Show’ for his fearless approach,hadhopedforafarewell appearance at his home ground, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), during the England series. However, Australia’s decision to favour younger players ended that possibility.
‘A little bit sad and a littlebit inevitable too, but Pm announcing my retirement from international cricket, Maxwell said on The Final Word podcast.
He said discussions with selectors had taken place before and after the T20 World Cup in February, but both sides had agreed to leave the door open to a possible return.
‘There was 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 said.
Maxwell last represented Australia against Oman at the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February. He was subsequently overlooked for the series against Bangladesh inJune and was again absent from the squad announced on Monday for the November series against England.
He said Australia’s decision to give younger players opportunities was understandable, particularly after several performed well against Bangladesh.
Maxwell played 130 T20 internationals, scoring 2,897 runs at a strike rate of 154.42 to finish as Australia’s third-highest run-scorer in the format, behind David Warner and Aaron Finch. He also scored five T20 international centuries, a feat matched by only India’s Rohit Sharma among players.
In one-day internationals, he represented Australia 149 times, scoring 3,990 runs. Hewas part of the Australian teams that won the 50-over World Cups in 2015 and 2023, as well as the T20 World Cup in 2021. He also claimed 128 wickets for his country in the shorter formats.
Although he played only sevenTests,Maxwellremained a key figure in Australia’s limited-overs cricket through his aggressive batting and useful off-spin bowling.
Alongside his international retirement, Maxwell has also decided to end his first-class and 50-over career with Victoria, bringing his red-ball and domestic one-day appearances to a close.
‘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 getthrough the remaining couple of tournaments I’ve got in my career,’ he said.
He will, however, continue playing in the Big Bash League for the Melbourne Renegades.
Reflecting on his international career, Maxwell said he was grateful for the opportunity to represent Australia.
‘I’m grateful for the time I was able to play for my country.
If you had offered me that career when I first walked into the Victoria change rooms in 2009-ish, I would have bitten your hand off,’ he said.
Maxwell’s retirement marks the end of an international career defined by extraordinary hitting, inventive shotmaking and match-winning performances across formats.-Agencies