Glenn Maxwell Retires From International Cricket After 14-Year Career

Glenn Maxwell retires from international cricket, closing one of the most explosive chapters in white-ball cricket. The Australian all-rounder made the announcement on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, on The Final Word podcast. He is 38 years old. (Source: Reuters)

Why Glenn Maxwell Retires From International Cricket

Maxwell is leaving all international cricket and will also step away from Victoria’s 50-over and four-day teams. He will not return to red-ball cricket. (Source: Cricinfo)

Reuters reports that he had hoped for a farewell match on home soil. That hope ended because Australia chose to focus on younger players in its short-format squads. (Source: Reuters)

Maxwell also said he needs to spend more time looking after his body. In June 2025, he had already stepped away from one-day cricket because his body reacted badly to 50-over conditions. (Source: ABC News)

A Career Built on Big Hitting

Maxwell played 149 One-Day Internationals and scored 3,990 runs. His strike rate of 126.70 is the second-highest in ODI history among batters with 1,000 or more runs. He also took 77 wickets with his off-spin. (Source: ABC News)

He was part of Australia’s ODI World Cup-winning teams in 2015 and 2023. He also helped Australia win the 2021 T20 World Cup. (Source: Reuters)

His most famous innings came at the 2023 World Cup in Mumbai. He scored an unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan, which many fans and experts call the greatest ODI innings ever played. (Source: Reuters)

T20 and Test Numbers

Maxwell played 130 T20 Internationals. He scored 2,897 runs at a strike rate of 154.42 and took 51 wickets. (Source: ABC News)

He played seven Test matches, and his last came in 2017. His best Test score was 104 against India in Ranchi. (Source: Cricinfo)

His Final Matches

Maxwell last played for Australia against Oman at the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2026. Later, he played two One-Day Cup matches for Victoria. He said that telling his teammates the final match for the state was his last was harder than he expected. (Source: Cricinfo, Reuters)

What Comes Next for Maxwell

Maxwell will continue to play T20 franchise cricket. He will play for the Melbourne Stars in the upcoming Big Bash League. (Source: ABC News)

In September, he led Belfast Wolves to the final of the inaugural European T20 Premier League. This shows he still plays competitive T20 cricket. (Source: Cricinfo)

Australia’s selectors have now moved their focus to younger players in the short format. Readers can expect more attention on the next generation of Australian T20 players in the months ahead. (Source: Reuters)

FAQs

Q1. When did Glenn Maxwell retire from international cricket?
Answer: He announced his retirement on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, on The Final Word podcast.

Q2. Why did Glenn Maxwell retire?
Answer: He said he needs to invest more time in his body. Reuters also reports that Australia chose to focus on younger players in its short-format squads.

Q3. Will Glenn Maxwell still play cricket?
Answer: Yes. He will continue playing T20 franchise cricket, including for the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League.

Q4. How many runs did Glenn Maxwell score in ODIs and T20 Internationals?
Answer: He scored 3,990 runs in 149 ODIs and 2,897 runs in 130 T20 Internationals.