Glenn Maxwell's Retirement: What He Left Unsaid

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Glenn Maxwell retires from international cricket at 38, ending his ODI, T20I, and Test careers. He'll still play in the BBL and shares his thoughts on the decision, his legacy, and what's next.

Glenn Maxwell has called it a day on international cricket. At 38, the Australian all-rounder has also stepped away from first-class and List A cricket. But he's not done with the game entirely. He'll still suit up for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League, where his contract runs through the 2027-28 season. So if you're a BBL fan, you haven't seen the last of him. ### The Last Hurrah for Australia Maxwell's final appearance for Australia came in February during the 2026 T20 World Cup. Australia didn't make it past the group stage, and their last game against Oman turned out to be his swan song. He took two wickets in that match but didn't get a chance to bat. The decision, he says, came after several open-ended conversations with team management before and after the tournament. No pressure from them, he insists. Australia was already looking ahead, and the series in Bangladesh showed younger players grabbing their chances. Maxwell had hoped for a farewell game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. England's upcoming white-ball tour includes a T20I in Melbourne, but it wasn't meant to be. He gets it, though. With the 2028 Olympics on the horizon and a period of change expected over the next 12 to 24 months, younger players need exposure to international pressure that a BBL match can't always provide. ### The Numbers Behind a Remarkable Career Maxwell's T20I record speaks for itself: 130 matches, 2,897 runs at a strike rate of 154.42, and 51 wickets. His five T20I centuries are a world record he shares with India's Rohit Sharma. He won two ODI World Cups and one T20 World Cup. And who could forget him hitting the winning runs in the 2021 T20 World Cup final? In Test cricket, Maxwell played seven matches, the last in 2017. He scored 339 runs, with a highest score of 104 against India in Ranchi. ### What's Next for Maxwell? Maxwell isn't slowing down in franchise cricket. He captained the Belfast Wolves to the final of the inaugural European T20 Premier League in September. Five days later, he played two matches for Victoria in the One-Day Cup. His last game for Victoria was the final one-day match of that run. Telling his teammates was harder than he expected—he got emotional addressing the group. He credited the state side for their support throughout his career. Now, Maxwell plans to focus on his fitness. He was set to get a knee injection to prepare for the BBL, but once the England series option closed, he chose to focus on rehab instead. Eight weeks of rehab to get ready for the tournament. "No other format would have been a more fitting place for a send-off than T20 cricket," he said, describing it as feeling like home over the past 15 years. > "T20 cricket has been my home for 15 years. There's no better way to say goodbye." That about sums it up. Maxwell leaves international cricket with a legacy of entertainment, innovation, and plenty of highlights. And he's not done yet—the BBL will still get to see him light it up.

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