Glenn Maxwell steps down from Melbourne Stars’ captaincy role
Talismanic all-rounder Glenn Maxwell announced his decision to resign from the captaincy of the Melbourne Stars after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs this season in the Big Bash League (BBL).
Under Maxwell’s leadership, the Stars finished at No. 6 on the points table after the round-robin phase of the eight-team competition. They won four and lost six out of the 10 matches they played. The experienced campaigner stepped down from his role as captain of the side after being at the helm for more than five years.
As per reports, Maxwell informed his teammates about his decision after the team lost by seven runs in their last game of the season to Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Monday, January 15. Peter Moores was appointed as the new head coach of the Stars this season but he couldn’t change their fortunes as the Melbourne-based team failed to reach the finals for a fourth consecutive campaign.
Maxwell replaced John Hastings as the captain of Melbourne in 2018 after the latter had served in the role for a season after David Hussey’s retirement. In Maxwell’s tenure, the Stars made the BBL decider in both 2018-19 and 2019-20, losing to the Melbourne Renegades and Sydney Sixers respectively. The Stars and the Hurricanes are the only two BBL teams to have never won the title.
The 35-year-old Maxwell still has a couple of years left in his contract with the Stars. However, another veteran all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, is out of contract. Reports suggest that the Stars are keen to keep him in the side. Before the season started, Melbourne renewed the contract of Hilton Cartwright for another couple of years. However, the contracts of Joe Burns, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Brody Couch, and Corey Rocchiccioli have expired.
‘It feels like the last four years out of finals contention is quite frustrating’ – Glenn Maxwell before loss to Hobart Hurricanes
Before the Stars lost to the Hurricanes, Maxwell cut a frustrated figure. He said that his team let the opportunities slip and also blamed untimely injuries for the unfavorable result in the campaign.
“We left our run in someone else’s hands which is never what you want to do in this game. We put ourselves in this position and we have to live with that now. After the first couple of years, having so much dominance and not being able to get over that final hurdle, it feels like the last four years out of finals contention is quite frustrating. We feel like we’ve had a good enough list, probably haven’t had enough luck with injuries and timing, replacements and it just all seems to compound on itself,” Maxwell was quoted as saying by Fox Cricket.
