The 38-year-old confirmed his decision on Monday during an appearance on the Final Word podcast. He will, however, continue playing in the Big Bash League (BBL), having also decided to end his first-class and List A careers.
Maxwell finished his international career with 149 One-Day Internationals (ODIs), 130 Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) and seven Test appearances.
Although he had already stepped away from ODI cricket following the Champions Trophy in 2025, his retirement from international cricket marks the end of his involvement with Australia across all formats.
One of the defining moments of Maxwell’s career came during the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, when he produced an extraordinary unbeaten 201 against Afghanistan in Mumbai.
Australia were struggling at 91 for seven while chasing 292 when Maxwell took charge of the innings despite suffering severe cramps in extreme heat. His 128-ball knock, which included a 202-run partnership with Pat Cummins, who contributed 12, guided Australia to a remarkable three-wicket victory.
Australia subsequently went on to win the tournament, defeating India in the final in Ahmedabad.
In ODIs, Maxwell accumulated 3,990 runs at a strike rate of 126, including four centuries and 23 half-centuries. He also claimed 77 wickets with his off-spin bowling.
In T20 internationals, he scored 2,897 runs at an impressive strike rate of 154.42, registering five centuries and 12 half-centuries.
His Test career yielded 309 runs from 14 innings, with his only century coming against India in Ranchi in 2017.
Maxwell made his ODI debut against Afghanistan in Sharjah in 2012 and established himself as one of Australia’s most dynamic limited-overs players.
His decision comes after Australia announced their white-ball squads for the upcoming series against England, with Maxwell missing from the T20I selection. The selection also indicated the team’s focus on developing younger players ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup, which Australia will co-host with New Zealand.
His final appearance for Australia came against Oman during the 2026 T20 World Cup. His returns in the format had declined over the preceding two years, with 233 runs in 14 matches at an average of 16.64, including one half-century.
Explaining his decision, Maxwell said discussions about his international future had taken place both before and after the T20 World Cup, with the possibility of continuing initially left open.
He said there had been no pressure from the Australian team management and that the selectors had begun giving opportunities to younger players, pointing to their performances during the Bangladesh series.
Maxwell also acknowledged that he had hoped to receive an opportunity to play a farewell match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), but said he understood the team’s decision to move in a different direction.
He said Australia were likely to undergo significant changes over the next 12 to 24 months, particularly with the 2028 Olympics approaching, making it important for emerging players to gain exposure to international cricket and pressure beyond domestic competitions such as the BBL.
