Glenn Maxwell retirement: Discover 7 lesser-known facts about Australia’s ‘Big Show’, from his childhood cricket stories to his World Cup heroics and BBL future
New Delhi:Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, popularly known as ‘The Big Show’, has announced his retirement from international cricket at the age of 38. He has also decided to step away from first-class and List A cricket for Victoria, bringing his state career to an end. Maxwell shared the decision this week on The Final Word podcast after Australia left him out of their T20I squad for the England series. However, fans will continue to see him in action as he plans to play franchise cricket, including the Big Bash League (BBL) for Melbourne Stars.
Glenn Maxwell calls time on his Australia career
Maxwell’s retirement marks the end of a 14-year international journey that brought Australia three major World Cup titles. He had already stepped away from ODI cricket in June 2025 but remained available for T20 internationals.
Australia’s decision to leave him out of the five-match T20I series against England became an important moment in his thinking. The selectors have started giving younger players opportunities as the team prepares for its next phase. Maxwell recognised that the team needed to look ahead and decided that the time had come to close his international chapter.
His announcement also covers his career with Victoria. He will no longer represent the state in first-class or List A cricket. First-class cricket includes traditional multi-day matches, while List A refers to one-day matches played under domestic or international 50-over rules.
What he said on the podcast
Speaking on The Final Word, Maxwell explained that he had held several conversations with Australia’s team management before and after the 2026 T20 World Cup.
He described those discussions as open-ended and said neither side had put him under pressure to make an immediate decision. Australia had kept the possibility of his return open while assessing younger players in the matches that followed.
Maxwell also reflected on the emotional side of leaving Victoria. Telling his teammates that his last one-day appearance for the state had already passed proved harder than he expected. He admitted that the moment brought emotions to the surface.
He now wants to focus more on his fitness and manage his body carefully as he moves towards the remaining years of his playing career.
No send-off at the MCG
Maxwell had hoped to play one final international match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Australia will face England in a T20I at the venue during the ongoing tour, which offered a possible opportunity for a farewell appearance in front of home supporters.
However, he understood why the selectors chose a different direction. Australia expect significant changes over the next 12 to 24 months as they build towards cricket’s return to the 2028 Olympic Games. The team also wants younger players to experience international pressure rather than rely only on domestic T20 competitions.
Maxwell accepted that decision instead of pursuing a farewell match. His international career will therefore end without a final appearance at the MCG, a ground where he had hoped to receive one last opportunity to represent Australia.
His last match: Oman, February 2026
Maxwell’s final international appearance came against Oman at the 2026 T20 World Cup on February 20 in Pallekele, Sri Lanka.
Australia won the match comfortably, but the victory could not change their disappointing tournament campaign. The team failed to progress beyond the group stage, bringing an early end to its World Cup hopes.
Maxwell did not get an opportunity to bat in that match. However, he made an impact with the ball and claimed two wickets for 13 runs. Few could have expected that appearance to become his final outing in Australian colours.
The match marked the end of a career in which he represented Australia across all three international formats.
A career by the numbers
Maxwell represented Australia in 286 international matches across three formats. His record reflects his value as a batter and a bowling option who could change the course of a game.
| Format | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 7 | 339 | 8 |
| ODIs | 149 | 3,990 | 77 |
| T20Is | 130 | 2,897 | 51 |
| Total | 286 | 7,226 | 136 |
His T20I record stands out. Maxwell scored 2,897 runs at a strike rate of 154.42 and took 51 wickets. He also scored five centuries in the format, a record he shares with India’s Rohit Sharma, who has also retired from T20 internationals.
His ability to contribute with both bat and ball made him a valuable member of Australia’s white-ball teams.
Three World Cup moments
Maxwell’s international career featured several performances that Australian cricket fans will remember for years. Three World Cup moments stand above the rest.
- The 2015 ODI World Cup century: Maxwell smashed a 51-ball century against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground. His innings helped Australia strengthen their campaign for the trophy, which they eventually won.
- The 2021 T20 World Cup final: Maxwell hit the winning runs against New Zealand as Australia chased 173 to claim their first T20 World Cup title. He finished the match unbeaten on 28, helping Australia secure the trophy with eight wickets to spare.
- The unforgettable 201 not out against Afghanistan: Maxwell produced one of the greatest ODI World Cup innings in 2023. Australia had slipped to 91/7 while chasing Afghanistan’s 292 when he took charge. Despite severe cramps and difficulty moving, he scored an unbeaten 201 from 128 balls. His innings helped Australia complete an extraordinary three-wicket victory and reach the semi-finals.
The 2023 tournament also brought an unusual setback. Maxwell fell from the back of a golf cart during a team golf outing in Ahmedabad and suffered a concussion. The injury forced him to miss Australia’s match against England. He later returned and delivered his memorable double century against Afghanistan.
Why they called him “The Big Show”
Maxwell earned the nickname ‘The Big Show’ through his fearless approach to batting. He regularly played shots that challenged conventional cricketing techniques and gave bowlers very few safe areas to target.
His reverse sweeps, switch-hits, ramps and powerful strokes made him one of the most unpredictable batters in the game. He could hit boundaries over the covers, send the ball behind the wicketkeeper or clear the boundary against both pace and spin.
His aggressive batting also came with useful off-spin bowling and sharp fielding. Maxwell could change a match in a short period, whether Australia needed quick runs, a breakthrough with the ball or an athletic effort in the field.
That combination of entertainment and match-winning ability made the nickname a natural fit.
How it all began: lesser-known stories
Maxwell’s unusual batting style has an interesting childhood story behind it. According to an earlier profile, he dominated schoolyard cricket so much that teachers reportedly asked him to bat left-handed to give other children a chance. He began practising from the opposite side, developing the skills that later helped him play reverse sweeps and switch-hits.
His father, Neil Maxwell, also played an important role in his cricket journey. Neil reportedly moved from Cornwall in England to Australia during the 1960s and played club cricket in Melbourne. He spent considerable time helping his son develop his game. It is worth noting that Glenn’s father is not the same Neil Maxwell who represented Victoria and New South Wales in Sheffield Shield cricket.
Another interesting episode came in 2008. A profile by The Cricket Monthly recalled how Maxwell, then 19, considered leaving cricket while playing club cricket in Norfolk, England. He struggled with his form and felt the pressure of performing as an overseas player. Encouragement from his host and fellow cricketer helped him rediscover his enjoyment of the game.
Maxwell has also maintained a strong interest in golf, a sport that connects with his father’s sporting background.
What comes next: the Big Bash and beyond
Retirement from international cricket does not mean Maxwell will disappear from the T20 circuit. The Melbourne Stars have extended his contract through the 2027-28 Big Bash season, giving their supporters more opportunities to watch him in the green jersey.
The franchise has been an important part of his career since BBL|02. Maxwell has built a strong relationship with the Stars and remains one of their most recognisable players.
He also captained Belfast Wolves in the inaugural European T20 Premier League in September 2026. The team reached the final but lost to Edinburgh Castle Rockers, who won the competition’s first title.
Maxwell plans to focus on franchise cricket and his physical recovery. According to source, he intends to undergo a knee injection followed by around eight weeks of rehabilitation to prepare for the upcoming BBL season. Franchise cricket means representing privately owned teams in domestic and international T20 competitions rather than playing for a national side.
His next chapter will therefore bring a different schedule, but it will still feature the attacking cricket that made him a fan favourite.
