‘We were so naive’: Glenn Maxwell on the rocky road to becoming a dad

Each week, Benjamin Law asks public figures to discuss the subjects we’re told to keep private by getting them to roll a die. The numbers they land on are the topics they’re given. This week, he talks to Glenn Maxwell. The 36-year-old is one of international cricket’s most powerful hitters, and in 2023 set a new record for the fastest double century scored in a World Cup: 201 not out off just 128 balls. His memoir, The Showman, is out now.

Cricketer Glenn Maxwell: “I’ve got more responsibilities off the field than on it in terms of keeping my family safe.”Credit: Peter Tarasiuk

POLITICS

Politics is about personal values. What are yours and where did you get them from?
When I was growing up in South Belgrave [in Melbourne’s south-east], my parents instilled in me the values of working hard, making your own way and making the most of every opportunity. From age 10 to 15, I was training pretty much every day, and I had the support of my family as I strived to be the best I could possibly be. Don’t take anything for granted. Go out there and work as hard as you possibly can. Achieve what you want to.

Some people argue that sport and politics should never mix. Others say people with big public platforms should stand up for issues they care about. After the support – and backlash – Usman Khawaja experienced making humanitarian appeals over the Israel-Gaza conflict, what are your thoughts?
If players who have that platform want to use it, I’m all for them speaking out about things they believe in, especially if they’re of strong enough character to take the bad with the good. Personally, I like to keep my personal views to myself. I’ve got more responsibilities off the field than on it in terms of keeping my family safe. For family who haven’t experienced the negative stuff that you might be accustomed to [as a sportsman with a public profile], it can be hard. I try to avoid heaping any anxiety or stress on them.

Many people look up to you. What makes a good leader?
Someone who’s measured and understands different ways of going about a decision. And in sport, someone who’s able to take in lots of information and come up with a solid solution everyone can get behind.

SEX

When I say sex, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?
Pregnancy.

Oh, that’s interesting. Why did you go there?
Probably because of what we [Maxwell and his wife, Vini Raman] had to go through in the lead-up to having our son, Logan [now 14 months old].

Vini had been told she might never fall pregnant without medical intervention. Then, when she did for the first time, she suffered a miscarriage. That would have been a difficult journey for you and your wife.
Yeah, it certainly was. We had the excitement of getting pregnant really quickly, and the initial thought of, “Oh, that was a lot easier than we thought it was going to be.” We were so naive as to how difficult it was going to be to eventually have [a child]; that was very tough. But we’re both extremely grateful for having found support within each other – and now for our beautiful baby boy.

You’ve both called Logan a “rainbow baby”. What is a rainbow baby?
A rainbow baby is [a healthy baby] born after a previous pregnancy that ended in a miscarriage [as well as stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy, medical termination and infant loss]. Before Logan was conceived, we went through months of testing, trying to work out if there was anything we could potentially do. There was probably a period of time there where we thought it was never going to happen. The fact we were able to find a way through that and get that amazing news, that we had a baby on the way … After you’ve had a setback, you still don’t quite believe it until you reach that safe stage. Friends have been through a lot worse, so we’re extremely grateful and lucky to have our little fella.

You married Vini in 2022. What attracted you to her?
We met at a family day for my T20 side, Melbourne Stars, many years ago. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I found her online and was able to strike up a conversation. Then I went away for a couple of months, and she thought I wasn’t interested.

Wow, real smooth, Glenn.
[Laughs] She just assumed I wasn’t interested because she didn’t understand my commitments at that time. Once everything settled down, we were able to reconnect and give it a proper crack. I’m very grateful to her for adjusting to my lifestyle. She’s an unbelievable rock and mother. She’s basically holding our family together, as all good mums do.

You’re married, but you’re still in the public eye. Are you flattered by attention from strangers or horrified by the harassment?
To be honest … I generally get attention from middle-aged South Asian men! It’s mostly fending off cricket fans rather than any other kind of interest.

Sex before a big match? Yes or no?
You need to be fully focused. So if you need to get something out of your system in order to feel calm and focused, go for it.

MONEY

What constitutes money well spent?
I love taking care of my friends. Being able to go out, have some dinner together and take care of the bill. That’s one of my greatest joys, especially when someone might be a little bit strapped for cash or working from paycheck to paycheck. They know they don’t have to worry about anything when I’m there. Also, being able to fly my family around the world. I was able to have my whole extended family over in the West Indies this year for the T20 World Cup. That was amazing.

Complete this sentence for me. “Money can’t buy you …
Happiness.

“… but it can buy you …”
Golf clubs.

Golf clubs! For a cricketer?
Oh, most cricketers are just tragic golfers.

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