Glenn Maxwell has retired from Australia’s T20 internationals after 130 appearances, Cricket Australia reported on 2 November. The all-rounder is also leaving Victoria’s first-class and List A teams, while continuing to play for Melbourne Stars.
Maxwell closes Australia T20I career
Cricket Australia says Maxwell had already retired from one-day internationals in June last year. His latest decision closes the remaining international format in which he had kept open the possibility of another Australia appearance. The board says the recent T20 World Cup was his final international assignment. Its account makes clear that the announcement concerns international and state cricket, rather than every form of the game.
The board reports that Australia played a short T20 international series in Bangladesh after that tournament and gave younger players opportunities. Australian allrounder Glenn Maxwell told the Final Word podcast that talks with team management had been “pretty open-ended”. Cricket Australia’s report quotes him describing how the door had been left open while selectors looked ahead. The decision now ends that uncertainty over his availability for the national side.
Maxwell told the same podcast that he needs to invest more time in his body for the tournaments still ahead. Cricket Australia says he is managing a knee issue ahead of the Big Bash season. That is the practical link between his retirement and the cricket he still intends to play: a smaller schedule could give him time to prepare for the Stars.
Victoria exit and international record
Cricket Victoria separately confirms that Maxwell is retiring from first-class and List A cricket for the state with immediate effect. SportsRivo checked the state body’s announcement against Cricket Australia’s account: both distinguish the state and international exits from his continuing place at Melbourne Stars. The state statement also says the club remains his route to play in the coming Big Bash season.
The ICC’s 2 November account records Maxwell’s career across ODIs, T20 internationals and Tests, and his part in Australia’s World Cup wins. Cricket Australia identifies him as the country’s third-highest T20 international run scorer. These records explain why the decision has significance beyond Victoria: it closes the Australia career of a player who contributed to major international tournaments while retaining a franchise role.
What changes for Australia, Victoria and the Stars
- Australia can no longer select Maxwell for T20 internationals; the board had already used its recent Bangladesh series to introduce younger players.
- Victoria will no longer have Maxwell available for its first-class or List A sides, as its own announcement makes explicit.
- Melbourne Stars retain Maxwell for the Big Bash, so the retirement does not remove him from professional T20 cricket.
Melbourne Stars have a scheduled opener
Cricket Australia’s 2 November report lists the Stars’ opening match against Adelaide at the MCG on 18 December. Maxwell said he is managing his knee to be ready for the Big Bash. The fixture is a scheduled next step, not a guarantee of selection or fitness; the club role remains confirmed by both Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria.
Source: Cricket Australia