Tim David is the strongest fit for the finishing job that Maxwell leaves open, judged on strike rate and batting position. At 38, the all-rounder retired from international cricket on 2 November 2026 after a final Australia outing at the T20 World Cup against Oman in which he claimed 2 for 13 from three overs. The figures below hold each possible successor up against his record, and they favour David by a distance, with Owen, Green and Stoinis trailing him in different ways.
Across 130 T20Is he piled up 2,897 runs, averaging 28.97 with a 154.42 strike rate. Only Rohit Sharma matches his tally of five centuries, and his 150 sixes, 62 catches and 51 wickets show how many jobs he handled. The best of his hundreds was an unbeaten 145 against Sri Lanka in 2016.
Selectors left him out of the England series of five matches, set to open at the MCG on 21 November, and he said he understood the direction the squad was taking. He will still play franchise T20 for Melbourne Stars. Australia, however, have lost a power-hitter and a spin option in one retirement. The choice looks as much about squad balance as about form.
His work came in two halves, hitting in the closing overs and bowling spin, and the next player must cover both. In the batting order listed for the Oman game, Green was at four, David at five and Renshaw at six, with Maxwell seventh. That position tells you the team wanted him as a closer rather than a builder.
Selection chair George Bailey has described Jake Fraser-McGurk and Mitch Owen as ball-strikers who could offer something different. For now nobody has been confirmed as the successor. Every contender therefore has to be weighed on hitting and on bowling at once.
David tops this group with a strike rate of 168.41 from 74 matches and 109 sixes, comfortably ahead of Maxwell’s 154.42. That gap is large for a format decided by a handful of deliveries. Putting strike rate and boundary counts together, David finds a four or a six roughly once every 4.2 balls, whereas Maxwell managed one per 4.8 balls. Owen scores at 147.93, though across only 15 matches.
Green strikes at 151.90 with 36 sixes, and Marcus Stoinis stands at 146.28 with 66. Hitting alone does not settle the argument, because bowling cover splits the field, as the last column of the table shows.
About 27 overs (estimate), 5 wickets
About 38 overs (estimate), 14 wickets
David is the pick. No other batter on the list scores faster, and he occupied the number five slot against Oman and again during the Chattogram game, the third T20I, where he remained 12 not out from three balls with two sixes. He is also part of the England squad, so the selectors are already using him. That mix of pace and position is hard to find elsewhere.
Green, who has 36 sixes, suits the top of the order better, and he is missing from the T20I group because the Test players sit out. Stoinis has not played a T20I since February 2026 and is absent too. Owen looks like the investment for later, as 15 matches is a thin sample to judge him by.
Those 51 wickets were never a footnote to his batting. David’s five wickets have cost 9.33 an over, while Owen’s two have cost 11.8. Zampa is in the England squad alongside the uncapped all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary , who bowled four overs for one wicket at Chattogram.
None of the contenders bowl like Maxwell did, so Australia may need a second all-rounder to pair with David. Any plan for a Glenn Maxwell replacement in Australia’s T20I side that overlooks this bowling gap is only half a plan.
Is David the right man, or does Australia need a true all-rounder? Tell us in the comments.
Has Glenn Maxwell quit international cricket?
Yes, he announced his retirement from international cricket on 2 November 2026. His career closed with seven Tests, 149 ODIs and 130 T20Is, and he had already walked away from the 50-over format in June 2025.
What is Glenn Maxwell’s T20I run tally?
He finished with 2,897 runs from 130 matches, averaging 28.97. The 154.42 strike rate and five centuries explain why selectors trusted him as a finisher for so long.
Will Glenn Maxwell appear in the next Big Bash?
Yes, he plans to keep playing franchise T20 cricket, which includes the coming Big Bash. He remains with Melbourne Stars after renewing his deal through the 2027-28 season.
Which BBL club does Glenn Maxwell represent?
Maxwell represents Melbourne Stars in the BBL. His contract there now runs through the 2027-28 season, so he stays in domestic colours for a good while yet, which keeps a famous name in the league.
Disclaimer: This blog post reflects the author’s personal insights and analysis. Readers are encouraged to consider the perspectives shared and draw their own conclusions.
