Former Hampshire all-rounder amongst latest overseas stars to have county cricket contract cancelled

The Australian had agreed to play for Lancashire in the T20 Vitality Blast in 2020 following a successful time with the Red Rose county last summer.

But now he is one of three foreigners who were due at Old Trafford whose contract has been cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman BJ Watling was scheduled to feature in the first nine County Championship fixtures - including a visit to Hampshire next month - while Maxwell and fellow Aussie James Faulkner signed up for the Vitality Blast.

However, cricket in the UK has been put on hold until at least May 28 and the possibility of more interruptions has led to Lancashire’s decision, which follows a raft of similar contracts elsewhere.

Hampshire revealed last week they have cancelled the contract of Australian Test spinner Nathan Lyon, who was due to play Championship cricket this summer.

No decision, though, has yet been made regarding Pakistan fast bowler Shaheen Afridi who is due to play in the T20 Blast.

Maxwell has been a regular face on the English county scene since making his Hampshire debut in 2012. Fast-tracked into the T20 Blast team – he had been previously playing for Salisbury club South Wilts in the Southern Premier League – he made an instant impact.

In only his third game, he smacked the county’s fastest ever T20 half-century – off just 22 balls against Kent at Canterbury. In his fifth game, he set a new record with a 21-ball half-century against Essex at Chelmsford.

Maxwell enjoyed another limited overs spell at Hampshire in 2014, hitting 146 against Lancashire at Old Trafford off only 96 balls in a Royal London Cup tie.

He has also played for Surrey and Yorkshire prior to making his Lancashire debut in 2019.

In further cost-cutting measures, Lancashire, one of the few counties so far not to place employees on the government furlough scheme, have decided that all staff will take a 20 per cent pay cut in May.

Director of cricket Paul Allott said: ‘These are clearly very uncertain and challenging times for all counties both financially and operationally and it's clear the issues we face at the moment will have an impact on the way we prepare for the domestic season.

‘The overseas player situation is a policy that has been discussed nationwide and we think it's prudent to mutually come to an agreement with the players we had originally signed.

‘We will keep in touch with the players and their representatives, and as part of the agreement we've come to we do have an option to sign them for the 2021 campaign.

‘Clearly, we are looking at a condensed and truncated season, and whilst it is of course disappointing not to have any overseas players at our disposal, it does mean that we will be able to give our young and homegrown players increased opportunities.’

Hampshire remain one of the few counties so far not to announced plans to place employees on the government furlough scheme.

Yorkshire became the first of the 18 first class counties to say they would be taking advantage of the furlough scheme on March 26.

The likes of Essex, Worcestershire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Kent, Surrey, Nottinghamshire, Glamorgan, Somerset, Sussex and Northants have all followed.