Maxwell's 'Scar Tissue: A Game-Changing Asset for Australia's World Cup Ambitions

Glenn Maxwell wants to represent Australia at the highest level for as long as possible and believes his experience will make him a beneficial asset beyond the ODI World Series. 

Maxwell’s contemporaries, former skipper Aaron Finch hung his boots earlier this year and ace batter David Warner plans on leaving red ball cricket this summer. 

A few more changes are likely to happen in the coming years with the other white ball mainstays- Marcus Stoinis Mitchell Marsh and Steve Smith now in their 30s. Matthew Wade has not been picked for the forthcoming T20I series against South Africa, although is expected to join the squad later in the year against India, while Marsh has been appointed as the new ODI skipper as Pat Cummins battles a wrist injury. 

Maxwell, who suffered a broken leg last year, turns 35 during the World Series that commences in India in October but the all rounder has no intentions to call it quits. 

"I'll keep playing as long as people will have me, until they think that someone is more deserving of my spot, which is fine," he said at the launch of Kayo's World Cup coverage on Monday.

"Until then, I'll keep plugging along. I still feel fit, I still feel young, especially with the role I play. I still try to hit hotspots on the field, I'm not hiding at all."

Far from feeling impeded by his age, he is encouraged by the wisdom and lessons he has learned across the 226 white ball internationals. Maxwell has seen the highs including the famous World Series campaign in 2015, and his unbeaten 145 against Sri Lanka in 2016 and lows such as omission from the ODI side following the 2019 World Series. 

I've got a lot of scar tissue that's been built up from the mistakes I've made in that role," he said. "It's a hard thing for a young player to come in and do that role.

"When you have those young guys that come in, they might have success with their first game but a couple of games of failure, it's really hard to come back from. "Sometimes you just get used to failure as an older person and you can sort of have the resilience to come back from it."

Maxwell has enjoyed a career travelling across the globe, competing in franchise T20 leagues, similar to that of Chris Lynn, Tim David or Dan Christian. But he said that would not play T20 leagues at the expense of representing his nation. 

“It certainly looks better as far as time-wise, even just missing birthdays, weddings, life events. I think that appeals to me," he said. "But in saying that, I've still got a fair way to go in my cricket career.

"There's still some things I really want to tick off in my career. I think if I retired early, I probably wouldn't be doing justice to my younger self, who had all these goals and aspirations. There's still a few things I want to tick off."

Maxwell will fly to South Africa this for the three T20Is before missing the ODI leg of the tour to return to Australia for the birth of his first child then rejoin the squad in India.