Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday, bringing an end to a distinguished career after being overlooked for Australia’s upcoming Twenty20 series against England.
The 38-year-old, renowned for his explosive batting and unconventional stroke play, had already retired from one-day internationals last year but remained available for T20 selection.
However, Maxwell had not featured for Australia since the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February and was subsequently left out of the squad for the Bangladesh series in June.
His omission from the squad announced on Monday for November’s series against England, with selectors favouring younger players, prompted his decision to retire.
“A little bit sad and a little bit inevitable too, but I’m announcing my retirement from international cricket,” Maxwell said on the Final Word podcast.
The veteran cricketer revealed that he had held several discussions with Australian selectors before and after the T20 World Cup about his future.
“There wasn’t any pressure from (Australia team management), and we decided to sort of leave the door open,” he explained.
Maxwell said he had hoped for a possible farewell appearance at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against England but accepted the selectors’ decision to prioritise the next generation.
“There was a small hope or discussion that I might have been able to potentially get a send-off game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (against England),” he said.
“But I can completely understand the direction they’re going with this squad.”
Maxwell retires having played 130 T20 internationals, scoring 2,897 runs at an impressive strike rate of 154.42. He finishes as Australia’s third-highest run-scorer in the format, behind David Warner and Aaron Finch.
He also represented Australia in 149 one-day internationals, accumulating 3,990 runs, and played seven Test matches, with his last appearance in the longest format coming in 2017.
Maxwell has also retired from first-class cricket with Victoria but intends to continue playing for the Melbourne Renegades in Australia’s Big Bash League.
Reflecting on his international career, Maxwell expressed gratitude for the opportunities he had received.
“I’m grateful for the time I was able to play for my country,” he said.
“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.”
His retirement marks the departure of one of Australia’s most innovative limited-overs batters, whose aggressive approach and match-winning performances made him a prominent figure in international cricket.