Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs), marking the end of a significant chapter in his cricketing career that began in 2012. The 36-year-old played 149 ODIs for Australia, scoring close to 4,000 runs and winning two ODI World Cups.
Maxwell, who is still dealing with the effects of a serious leg injury suffered in 2022, revealed he had made the decision during February's Champions Trophy tournament. He informed Australia’s chief selector George Bailey that he didn’t see himself making it to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speaking on the Final Word podcast, Maxwell said, "I said to him right then and there, 'I don't think I'm going to make that. I think it's time to start planning for people in my position, to have a crack at it and try and make that spot their own for the 2027 World Cup. Hopefully they get enough of a lead-in where they can have success in that role."
Maxwell, 36, will continue playing T20 internationals and hasn’t retired from first-class cricket. However, he admitted the physical demands of the ODI format had become increasingly difficult to manage particularly in testing conditions during this year's Champions Trophy.
"My decision to retire from one-day international cricket was probably more on the back of the first couple of games in the Champions Trophy. I felt like I gave myself a really good opportunity to be fit and ready for those games. The first game in Lahore, we played on a rock-hard outfield. Post that game I was pretty sore.
"We were lucky enough to have a washout against South Africa, where I had a bit more time to have a bit of rest and get myself ready for the next game. The following game against Afghanistan, we fielded for 50 overs on a really, really wet outfield. It was slippery, it was soft, and I just didn't pull up that well.
He added,"I started to (realise) that if I don't have the perfect conditions in 50-over cricket, my body just struggles to get through that. It feels like it's a tiring affair just to get through and almost surviving the 50 overs, let alone being at my best throughout that 50 overs, and then going out there and trying to perform with the bat as well.
"I felt like I was letting the team down a little bit with how my body was reacting to the conditions."
Maxwell had already indicated during the Champions Trophy that his long-term ODI future was in doubt. In a conversation with selector George Bailey, he signaled it was time for a new generation to step up.
"I said to him right then and there, 'I don't think I'm going to make that.I think it's time to start planning for people in my position, to have a crack at it and try and make that spot their own for the 2027 World Cup. Hopefully they get enough of a lead-in where they can have success in that role."
Glenn Maxwell's ODI legacy
Maxwell’s legacy in ODI cricket is etched in highlights. His unforgettable double-century against Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup will go down as one of the greatest one-day innings ever played. He retires with the highest strike-rate (126.70) of any batter to score at least 2,000 ODI runs
With 77 wickets from his part-time off-spin and a reputation as one of the best fielders in the modern game, Maxwell leaves behind a complete legacy in ODI cricket
