Glenn Maxwell signs new four-year deal with Melbourne Stars 

Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has committed himself to the Melbourne Stars until 2026 after signing a new four-year deal. The 33-year-old will now effectively play for the Stars until the end of his playing career.

Maxwell, who is third on the all-time Big Bash League run-scorers list, has been part of every edition of the tournament so far. He has been handed leadership responsibilities for the last four seasons as well. Under the T20 craftsman's captaincy, the Stars finished runner-up twice in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons.

Following the contract extension, Maxwell expressed his pleasure while talking to the Stars' social media team:

“I'm thrilled to commit to the Stars for another 4 seasons. I want to win a BBL title at the Stars and I believe we have the list to do that. We've got a really close group with some of the best T20 players in the world and excellent support from the coaching team. Our members and fans are the best in the BBL and I can't wait to see everyone back at the MCG next season. The Stars have been part of my life for a decade and I'm already excited to see what we can achieve in BBL|12 and beyond."

The Stars finished 6th in the points table in the ongoing season of the BBL. They narrowly missed out on the playoffs affter securing seven wins and seven defeats in an injury-ravaged season.

Maxwell is a proven match-winner: Stars general manager Blair Crouch

The experienced all-rounder has been a valuable asset to the franchise over the years. Stars general manager Blair Crouch welcomed Maxwell's decision to extend his stay and looks forward to winning the BBL title in the forthcoming seasons. He said:

"Glenn is one of the most recognisable faces in world cricket and we know how important he is to our fans and members who love watching him. To have a world class talent like Glenn commit long term to the Stars is a great sign of his faith in the direction of the club and we'd all love to achieve a BBL title. He is a proven match-winner and we can't wait to see him at the MCG next summer."

Following a successful set of campaigns for the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Australian cricket team at the T20 World Cup, Maxwell translated his form in the BBL as well. He scored two centuries, including a record breaking 154* against the Hobart Hurricanes, but was not named in the BBL team of the tournament. He was the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 468 runs to his name, finishing only behind Ben McDermott and Matt Short.