However, Maxwell said he is still available for international T20 matches and domestic T20 tournaments, including the lucrative Indian Premier League and the Big Bash League with his Melbourne Stars.
“My decision to retire from one-day international cricket was probably more so on the back of the first couple of games of the Champions Trophy. I felt like I gave myself a good opportunity to be fit and ready for those games and the first game in Lahore we played on a rock-hard outfield and post that game, I was pretty sore,” Maxwell, a proud Victorian, told the Final Word podcast.
“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, soft, and I just didn’t pull up that well. And I started to think that if I don’t have the perfect conditions in 50 over cricket, my body, probably, struggles to get through that.
“It feels like it’s a tiring affair just to get through … surviving 50 overs, let alone being at my best through the 50 overs, then going out there and trying to perform with the bat as well. I felt like I was sort of letting the team down a little bit with how my body was reacting to the conditions.”
Maxwell, who returned from a career-threatening broken leg in 2022, spoke to selection chairman George Bailey about his future.
“We basically talked about the 2027 world cup, and I said to him right there and then: ’I don’t think I am going to make that, and 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,” Maxwell said.
“Hopefully, they can get enough of a lead in to, I suppose, have success in that role.”
Maxwell also spoke with his wife, Vini, and while he still felt he had much to give, he decided it was easier to maintain “athleticism at a high level” in the T20 format.
”I didn’t want to hold on for a couple of series and almost play for selfish reasons,” he said.
Maxwell’s ODI legacy is assured. His ability to defy painful cramps and blast an unbeaten 201 from 128 deliveries against Afghanistan in the ’23 World Cup, dragging Australia back from the abyss of 7-91 chasing 292 for victory to secure a semi-final berth, is considered one of the greatest ODI knocks of all time. He would hit the winning runs in the final against India.
A man who was ahead of his time with his audacious stroke play and willingness to use the crease, and reverse sweep fast bowlers, Maxwell could sometimes frustrate teammates and fans alike.
“I had a lot of people pointing out my mistakes, I suppose the more mistakes you make, the more lessons you learn. I felt like I had to learn a lot of lessons throughout my career,” Maxwell said, smiling.
“For the role I was playing in the Australian side, it was always be attacking, try and take the game on, and try and be the match winner.”
Happy days: World Cup winners Glenn Maxwell and David Warner in 2023.Credit: Getty Images
His breakthrough ODI century came with a thumping 102 off 53 balls against Sri Lanka in Sydney during the 2015 World Cup. He had been under pressure to retain his spot that summer, but delivered a series of impressive knocks before and during the tournament to reaffirm his position in a team which went on to claim the ultimate success.
“That was probably the first time in my one-day career I was forced to show a little bit of resilience,” Maxwell said.
There were centuries against England in Manchester [2020] and a 106 against the Netherlands, also during the ’23 World Cup.
There were also disappointments, including the 2019 World Cup in England, when he struggled against the short ball. Maxwell took a mental health break after that tournament.
A brilliant fielder, whether in the outfield or throwing down the stumps from closer in, Maxwell also had a knack of claiming key breakthroughs with his off-spin.
Bailey said Maxwell, a former teammate, was “one of the one-day game’s most dynamic players”.
“His level of natural talent and skill is remarkable. His energy in the field, under-rated ability with the ball and longevity has been superb. What else stands out is his passion for and commitment to playing for Australia,” Bailey said.
“Fortunately, he still has much to offer Australia in the T20 format. All things going well, he will be pivotal in the next 12 months as we build toward the World Cup early next year.”
While Maxwell has fulfilled his white-ball talent, he played all seven of his Tests overseas [including a century in India], and has been left to wonder what may have been in the traditional format.
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