Sydney: Australian all rounder Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday after being left out of the squad for the upcoming Twenty20 International (T20I) series against England, ending a 14 year career with the national team.
The 38 year old confirmed his decision on The Final Word podcast, saying discussions with selectors following the T20 World Cup in February had indicated that Australia was preparing to give opportunities to younger players.
Maxwell had retired from One Day Internationals (ODIs) in June 2025 but remained available for T20 cricket. However, he was not selected for Australia's series against Bangladesh in June, or the squad announced on Monday for the England matches later this month. He acknowledged that retirement had become inevitable as the selectors began planning for the team's future.
Maxwell said he had hoped to play a farewell international at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) against England but understood the direction of the selection process. “There was a small hope or discussion that I might have been able to potentially get a send off game at the MCG,” he said.
He added that team management had put no pressure on him to retire.
Maxwell's international career in numbers
Maxwell represented Australia in 286 international matches, including 130 T20Is, 149 ODIs and seven Tests. He scored 2,897 runs in T20 internationals at a strike rate of 154.42, finishing as Australia's third-highest run-scorer in the format behind David Warner and Aaron Finch.
In ODIs, he accumulated 3990 runs at a strike rate of 126.7. Across all three formats, he scored ten centuries and took 136 wickets. Maxwell was part of Australia's ODI World Cup winning teams in 2015 and 2023, as well as the side that won the T20 World Cup in 2021.
One of his performances came during the 2023 ODI World Cup against Afghanistan, when he scored an unbeaten 201 to guide Australia to victory after the team had fallen to 91 for seven while chasing 292.
The innings helped Australia qualify for the semi-finals and became one of the defining performances of his international career.
Australia shifts focus to younger players
Maxwell's departure comes as Australia prepares for changes to its T20 squad ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket is scheduled to return to the Olympic programme. The selectors have begun giving younger players opportunities, including during the Bangladesh series earlier this year.
Maxwell said he recognised the need to expose emerging cricketers to international competition rather than continue relying on established players. His final appearance for Australia came against Oman during the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka in February 2026. Although Australia won that match, the team failed to progress beyond the group stage.
Maxwell to continue franchise cricket
Alongside his international retirement, Maxwell has ended his career in Victoria's domestic first class and 50 over competitions. He will continue playing franchise T20 cricket, including for the Melbourne Stars in Australia's Big Bash League.
Maxwell said managing his fitness was among the reasons he stepped away from international and state cricket, allowing him to focus on the remaining tournaments of his playing career. His retirement leaves Australia without a player who contributed as a middle order batter, off spin bowler and fielder across limited overs formats.
For the national side, the immediate task will be to develop players capable of filling those roles as preparations continue for upcoming international tournaments. Maxwell's retirement closes his international career, while his continued participation in franchise leagues will keep him involved in the game.
