Glenn Maxwell roped in as captain by Ricky Ponting after shock ODI retirement

Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell has been appointed captain of the Washington Freedom ahead of the third season of Major League Cricket (MLC) in the United States. The Australian all-rounder will lead the side throughout the month-long tournament, taking over the reins from Steve Smith.

Steve Smith captained Washington Freedom to the title last season and was supported by head coach Ricky Ponting. He has not been removed from captaincy. The franchise confirmed on June 11 that Smith will be available for only two matches during the upcoming Major League Cricket season. For those games, he will resume leadership duties.

Glenn Maxwell Named Washington Freedom Captain for MLC 2025

Washington Freedom will begin their 2025 Major League Cricket season on June 12, with a match against the Corey Anderson-led San Francisco Unicorns at the Oakland Coliseum in California.

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Steve Smith will miss the start of the tournament due to the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's. Australia will then play a three-Test series against the West Indies. Smith will only be available for a brief window between the two assignments.

He will lead in just two matches for Washington, with Glenn Maxwell captaining the team for the rest of the season. Maxwell recently announced his retirement from ODI cricket to focus on preparing for the T20 World Cup 2026, which is scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka next year.

Glenn Maxwell Brings Leadership Experience to Washington Freedom

In a social media post, Maxwell said, "Hey Freedom Fam! Your captain Glenn Maxwell is here."

𝐆𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐱𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥. 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 💙

The Big Show is all set to lead the #FreedomExpress in #MLC2025 😎

🗒️ Glenn Maxwell will lead the Freedom squad in Cognizant Major League Cricket 2025. Steve Smith will captain the side in the… pic.twitter.com/wjgTM9Ta8G

— Washington Freedom (@WSHFreedom) June 11, 2025

Maxwell played for the Washington Freedom in the previous season. He scored 153 runs in five innings at an average of 38.25, including a half-century. With the ball, he picked up 10 wickets in eight matches at an average of 17 and an impressive economy rate of 6.66.

Maxwell brings leadership experience, having captained Melbourne Stars in 65 Big Bash League matches. Under his captaincy, the team secured 34 wins, suffered 30 losses, and had one no-result, although they are yet to win a BBL title. He also led Punjab Kings in the 2017 IPL season.

Washington Freedom to Begin Title Defence with Match Against San Francisco Unicorns

Washington Freedom will begin their title defence in the upcoming Major League Cricket season with a rematch against last year's runners-up, the San Francisco Unicorns.

The two sides will face off in the season opener on June 13 at the Oakland Coliseum. Washington Freedom claimed the championship in the previous edition by defeating the Unicorns in the final. The tournament will conclude with the final, set to be played on July 12.

Washington Freedom Squad: Steve Smith, Mark Chapman, Mukhtar Ahmed, Jack Edwards, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Maxwell (c), Mitchell Owen, Abhishek Paradkar, Obus Pienaar, Ian Holland, Justin Dill, Andries Gous, Lahiru Milantha, Saurabh Netravalkar, Amila Aponso, Yasir Mohammad, Lockie Ferguson, Jason Benrendorff, Ben Sears.

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