Why CA dropped Glenn Maxwell from central contract list

By Parth Dhall

Apr 01, 2026 04:30 pm

What's the story

Veteran all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has been left out of Cricket Australia's central contracts list for the 2026/27 season. The decision has raised questions about the future of the 37-year-old in international cricket. The board announced a 21-player list focused on Test regulars, leaving out Maxwell, who last played a Test match in 2017 and hasn't been part of red-ball plans since.

Contract details

Priorities for Cricket Australia

Maxwell's omission from the contracts list comes as Cricket Australia prepares for a busy red-ball calendar with several Test series against Bangladesh, New Zealand, India, and England. The selections reflect the team's priorities over the next 12 months. Maxwell, who retired from ODIs last year, has been available for the shortest format. However, his position there isn't entirely secure either after an unimpressive performance in Australia's T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.

Career challenges

End of an era?

Maxwell's career has been marred by freak injuries off the field and disciplinary issues with Cricket Australia. The latest decision to omit him from the central contracts list could mark the end of a tumultuous few years for the all-rounder. He scored just 62 runs with a strike rate of 110.71 in the 2026 T20 World Cup, where Australia failed to go past the group stage.

Advertisement

Information

Strike rate of 154-plus

Maxwell, one of the most explosive batters, has the third-most runs for Australia in T20Is. According to ESPNcricinfo, he has hammered 2,897 runs from 130 T20Is at a strike rate of 154.42. His tally includes a record 5 tons.

Advertisement

Player roster

Full list of Australia's contracted players (2026/27)

Cricket Australia men's contracts for 2026/27: Xavier Bartlett, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Brendan Doggett, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Todd Murphy, Michael Neser, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Jake Weatherald, Beau Webster, and Adam Zampa.

Click here to read article