Maxwell's Shock Return: No Contract, Big Impact

Dr. Annelies De Vos · 2026-09-23

Glenn Maxwell is back in Victoria's One-Day Cup squad to face New South Wales, and he's doing it without a contract. Just five days after captaining the Belfast Wolves in the ETPL final in Dublin, Maxwell will suit up for Victoria. Scott Boland also returns for this historic clash. ### A Historic Night at Junction Oval This Friday, the Junction Oval will host its first-ever floodlit match under newly installed lights. It's a big moment for Victorian cricket, and having Maxwell and Boland in the lineup adds extra buzz. Maxwell's return is particularly surprising because he retired from ODI cricket in early 2025 and doesn't hold a contract with Victoria or Cricket Australia. He was removed from CA's central contract list earlier this year. He's only notionally available for T20I selection, though he hasn't formally retired from Test cricket. Australia has just five T20Is scheduled in the 2026-27 contract year, and Maxwell was left out of the most recent T20I series against Bangladesh in June. Despite all that, Maxwell had talked with Victoria about playing in the One-Day Cup earlier in the winter. That conversation turned into a squad spot for Friday's game. It's not his first appearance since retiring from ODIs—he played two One-Day Cup matches for Victoria last September, including his maiden List A century. But back then, he was still contracted to CA, and those games were preparation for a T20I tour of New Zealand. Victoria has four more One-Day Cup fixtures before the BBL starts: September 25, October 12, October 24, and November 16. Coach Chris Rogers hasn't said whether Maxwell will play beyond Friday. ### Boland's Brief Stop Before Test Duty Scott Boland will get one game with Victoria before flying to South Africa on Sunday to join Australia's Test squad. He missed Victoria's win over Queensland in Brisbane last week. Rogers believes having contracted players like Boland helps the squad. "They perform on the field and set an example for the younger guys," he said. The timing of this match, right before the AFL Grand Final, should draw a big crowd. ### Squad Stretched Thin Victoria is missing several players due to national commitments: - Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Campbell Kellaway, Todd Murphy, and Fergus O'Neill are with Australia A in India. - Ollie Peake is with Australia's ODI squad in South Africa. All except Murphy are expected back for the October 12 match. Murphy will stay with Australia A for three one-day games ending October 11. Rogers admitted that fitting everyone back into the side will be tough as the season goes on. He also praised the younger players in the win over Queensland, where Victoria chased down 336 after being 14 for 4. Debutant Liam Blackford and captain Will Sutherland both scored hundreds. Rogers said the depth shown by uncapped players reflects well on Victoria's program. > "The depth we're seeing from the uncapped players is a great sign for the future," Rogers said. For more cricket news and updates, keep an eye on our blog.