Glenn Maxwell announces retirement from international cricket after 14 years
Glenn Maxwell announced his retirement from international cricket on November 2, 2026, ending a 14-year career with Australia, Cricinfo reported. The 38-year-old finished his international career having played seven Tests, 149 One-Day Internationals and 130 T20 Internationals.
Maxwell scored 339 runs in Test cricket, 3,990 in ODIs and 2,897 in T20Is, and took 136 international wickets over his career. He made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in Sharjah on August 25, 2012, followed by a T20I debut against Pakistan in Dubai in September 2012 and a Test debut versus India in Hyderabad in March 2013. His honours include two ODI World Cup wins in 2015 and 2023 and the 2021 T20 World Cup title.
The standout moment of Maxwell's career came during the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai against Afghanistan, when Australia chased 292. Australia were 91 for seven before Maxwell, suffering severe cramps, compiled an unbeaten 201 off 128 balls with 21 fours and 10 sixes. He and Pat Cummins added an unbroken 202, with Cummins unbeaten on 12, to win the match with three wickets and 19 balls to spare; Maxwell's 201 was the first ODI double century by an Australian men's batter.
Maxwell repeatedly battled cramps during that innings yet remained at the crease to complete the chase, continuing to score despite physical difficulty. Signs of reduced involvement in Australia's plans emerged in 2026 when Cricket Australia omitted him from its national central contract list for the 2026-27 season, a decision announced in April. That omission followed his retirement from ODIs in June 2025 and came amid uncertainty over his long-term international future.
He had retired from ODI cricket in June 2025, with his final appearance in that format coming against India in the Champions Trophy semi-final in Dubai. Earlier in March he had said he was not ready to make a formal decision on his T20I future, intending to assess his fitness and form. Despite that, selectors left him out of Australia's T20I squad for the Bangladesh tour in May-June 2026 as they selected a new-look group that also omitted Steve Smith and Marcus Stoinis; chief selector George Bailey said at the time the trio's T20I careers were not necessarily over.
Maxwell's last match for Australia was against Oman in a T20 World Cup Super Eights clash on February 20, 2026. With his international retirement now confirmed, his franchise commitments remain separate from his national career.
He continues to play in T20 leagues and is contracted to the Melbourne Stars in the Big Bash League until the end of the 2026-27 season.
