Glenn Maxwell, one of Australia’s most exciting cricket players, has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs). He made this decision to focus completely on winning the T20 World Cup, which will be held in India next year. The 36-year-old all-rounder said that playing 50-over matches was becoming difficult for him, especially due to the physical strain.

Maxwell retires as one of Australia’s best ODI players. He was part of Australia’s World Cup-winning teams in 2015 and 2023. Since his ODI debut in August 2012, Maxwell has played 149 matches and scored 3,990 runs. He had a very high strike rate of 126.7. His record includes four centuries and 23 fifties. Apart from his explosive batting, his off-spin bowling helped Australia many times. He took 77 wickets with an economy rate of 5.46.

“I think back to right at the start; I was picked ahead of my time and out of the blue. I was just proud just to be playing a couple of games for Australia. I thought I was just going to have that. Since then, I have been able to go through the ups and downs of being dropped, being brought back, playing in a few World Cups and being a part of some great teams,” Maxwell said.

Unforgettable World Cup knock against Afghanistan

One of Maxwell’s most memorable ODI innings came during the 2023 World Cup. In a match against Afghanistan, Australia was struggling at 91/7 while chasing 293. Maxwell, who was suffering from cramps, played a once-in-a-lifetime knock. He scored an unbeaten 201 runs from just 128 balls and won the match for his team.

Maxwell revealed that a leg injury and fitness issues made it hard for him to perform in ODIs.

“I felt like I was letting the team down a little bit with how my body was reacting to the conditions,” he said.

He also said he spoke with Australia’s chief selector, George Bailey.

“We talked about the 2027 World Cup, and I said to him, ‘I don’t think I am going to make that... Hopefully they get enough of a lead-in to hang onto that rol’e,” Maxwell added.

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