- Glenn Maxwell signed with Washington Freedom for MLC 2024.
- He joined Australian teammates Travis Head and Steve Smith.
- Several other Australians also are participating in MLC 2024.
He will be teaming up with batsmen Travis Head and Steven Smith, as well as his former IPL coach Ricky Ponting, at Washington Freedom.
In a conversation with ESPN’s Around the Wicket, he expressed his enthusiasm about playing cricket in the United States.
“It’s a tournament that I watched from afar last year and was extremely excited about hopefully playing this tournament one day and luckily enough the timings have aligned this year,” Maxwell stated. "I’ve been speaking to Ricky Ponting and a few other players a fair bit over the last little period and certainly extremely excited to get stuck in.
“Having Travis and Steve there and Ricky, three guys who I’m extremely familiar with, I think that sort of probably tipped me over the edge,” he further added.
Several other Australians - Adam Zampa (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Spencer Johnson (Knight Riders), Tim David (MI New York), Matt Short (San Franciso Unicorns) and Jake Fraser-McGurk (San Franciso Unicorns) - have been confirmed as signings for the second edition, which is scheduled to commence after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.
In the meantime, Maxwell has clarified his decision to request to be left out of RCB’s line-up for the final IPL 2024 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
He emphasized that it was not about needing a prolonged break from the tournament, but rather that he felt he was not fit to be in the playing XI.
“I was pretty low on confidence,” Maxwell confessed. "I had a good couple of net sessions and just went out to the ground and felt really tentative. I wasn’t able to really commit to my game plans and just felt like if I had kept playing and playing that role, I don’t think the results would change too much.
"I felt really at peace with it. Obviously, I’m frustrated that I wasn’t able to get the results I would have liked but comfortable in the fact that I know I feel like I’ve made the right decision for the team and it’s certainly not like I’m taking an extended break away from the game.
“I just think it’s a better opportunity for someone else to have a crack at my position. I know I’m an important part of this side but at the moment I’m not playing well enough to I suppose warrant a spot.”
Maxwell revealed that he is recuperating from a minor hip injury and will not be returning for RCB against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday.
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