Glenn Maxwell in sad Melbourne Stars development after missing BBL finals

Glenn Maxwell has made the tough decision to stand down as the Melbourne Stars captain after the team once again failed to make the Big Bash League finals. The Stars finished sixth on the table having just won four of 10 games this season in another let down for the fans.

To make matters worse, the Stars lost the last three games of the season when two wins would have seen them take part in the finals. On Wednesday, Yahoo Sports Australia reporter Adam Lucius wrote a piece questioning whether the Stars were the most underperforming sport franchise in the country.

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The team have underperformed for quite some time having not reached the finals for four years running. And after years of frustration, Maxwell has stepped down from his role as captain to give another teammate a go at turning around the franchise's run.

Maxwell reportedly told his teammates of the decision to step down from the role after the Stars' final game of the season against the Hurricanes on Monday night. The allrounder and World Cup winner took over the captaincy role after John Hastings left the franchise in late 2018. Hastings took over the role from Dave Hussey.

The 35-year-old took the Stars to two finals appearances in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, but lost both to the Renegades and Sixers respectively. Maxwell is still under contract with the Melbourne Stars for another two years, but will shift his focus to his batting and bowling.

While Maxwell may feel the club needs new leadership, his role in the team is solidified considering he is one of the best T20 performers in the world. Maxwell has consistently scored in BBL13 having averaged 34.7 this season and also taking seven wickets. Fans were left taken aback by the announcement with many praising Maxwell for his leadership across the last five years.

Glenn Maxwell rues another tough BBL campaign

After the final game of the season against the Hurricanes, Maxwell admitted it had been a frustrating run over the last few seasons. “We put ourselves in this position and we have to live with that now," he said. “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.”

Marcus Stoinis dismissed the team was missing anything, but rather on a number of occasions the players didn't step up. "I don't think there's a missing link," Stars all-rounder Stoinis said after the 2023/24 campaign came to a crushing end. "I could have played better throughout the season. Off the back of me playing better, you might win an extra game.

"It’s only little things. I don’t think there's anything that needs to happen from outside – it’s just our own consistency and own improvement."

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