’Letting the team down’: Glenn Maxwell’s sad admission as he retires from ODI cricket

Glenn Maxwell has made the difficult decision to call time on his 50-over career as he feels he was letting his teammates down.

Glenn Maxwell has called time on his One Day International (ODI) cricket career as he revealed he felt his recent performances were letting his teammates down.

The Victorian retired on Monday with two World Cups, four centuries and a double-hundred next to his name in the 50-over game.

Maxwell will forever be remembered for his matchwinning double century against Afghanistan at the 2023 World Cup.

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However, the white-ball specialist is still under contract Cricket Australia and therefore will still be available for selection for any T20 internationals.

And while the 36-year-old has not officially confirmed his retirement from first-class cricket, any return to that format appears highly unlikely given he hasn’t featured for his state since mid-2023 or played a Test match for Australia since 2017.

In the end, Australia’s Champions Trophy semi-final defeat to India in early March proved to be the catalyst for Maxwell’s ODI retirement, with the all-rounder’s bad back and injury niggles finally making him feel like he was no longer an asset to the team.

Speaking about his decision to walk away, Maxwell told Adam Collins in an interview for the Final Word podcast he felt his body could no longer handle the rigours of the 50-over format.

“My decision to retire from one-day international cricket was probably more so 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,” Maxwell said.

Glenn Maxwell has called time on his ODI career. Image: Getty

“The first game in Lahore we played on a rock-hard outfield and post that game I was pretty sore. Against Afghanistan, we fielded 50 overs on a really, really wet outfield. It was slippery, it was soft, and I just didn’t pull up that well.

“I started to think about if I don’t have the perfect conditions in 50-over cricket, my body just probably struggled to get through that.

“It feels like it’s a tiring affair just to get through on the basics of almost surviving the 50 overs, let alone being at my best.”

Maxwell said he knew it was time to walk away when he felt he was no longer a game-changer and if anything was letting his teammates down.

“I felt like I was sort of letting the team down a little bit with how my body was reacting to the conditions. I had a really good chat with (selection chair) George Bailey while we were in the rain delay,” he continued.

Glenn Maxwell retires as one of Australia’s greatest ever white-ball cricketers. (Photo by Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

“We basically talked about the 2027 World Cup, and I basically said to him there and then that I don’t think I’m going to make that and I think it’s time to start planning I suppose for people in my position to have a crack at it and make that spot their own for the 2027 World Cup, and hopefully they have enough of a lead-in where they can I suppose have success in that role.

“I think in reality I’d be doing a disservice to the team by hanging on a little bit longer and struggling to get through, and more hoping rather than expecting to get through. I don’t think that would be fair to anyone.”

In a whopping 149 ODIs, Maxwell finished with 3,990 runs and took 77 wickets with his off-spin.

His batting strike rate of 126.70 is also currently the highest of anyone to face 1000 balls in ODIs.

Originally published as ’Letting the team down’: Glenn Maxwell’s sad admission as he retires from ODI cricket