(ESPN) Glenn Maxwell has retired from international cricket. The 38-year-old Australian is also walking away from first-class cricket and the List A game. He will be available to play for the Melbourne Stars in the BBL having had his contract extended to the 2027-28 season.

Maxwell had already quit ODIs in June last year but had kept himself available for T20Is and played the short-format World Cup in 2026 where his team was unable to progress past the group stages. Australia’s final match of that tournament, against Oman in February, becomes the last game he ever played for his country. He picked up two wickets with the ball and did not bat.

“We probably had numerous discussions before and after the T20 World Cup,” Maxwell said on the Final Word podcast. “And it was it was pretty open ended. There wasn’t any pressure from that side [Australia team management], and we decided to sort of leave the door open. There was a couple of series that were coming up; they were going to look to the future, and we saw that in Bangladesh with guys getting their opportunity and performing really well.”

A two-time ODI World Cup winner and scorer of the winning runs when Australia were crowned T20 world champions in 2021, Maxwell wished he could’ve taken the field one last time for his nation at his home ground.

“I suppose, a small hope or discussion that I might have been able to potentially get a send-off game at the MCG. But I can completely understand the direction they’re going with this squad. There’s going to be a lot of change, I suppose, over the next 12 to 24 months with the Olympics coming up [in 2028], and they’ve got to make sure that they get their eyeballs on a few young guys coming through and making sure that they’re getting exposed to international pressure that you probably can’t always get from a BBL fixture.”

Maxwell has remained active in the franchise circuit and led Belfast Wolves to the final of the inaugural European T20 Premier League in September. Five days later, he represented Victoria for two matches in the One-Day Cup.

“Post the last one-day game for Victoria, speaking to my team-mates and letting them know that that was going to be my last game for the state was probably harder than I thought it was going to be. Knowing that they’ve played such a huge role in my whole career, every time I’ve come back, had great team-mates there and a lot of support from the state. Yeah, I certainly got a little bit choked up speaking front of the group, but yeah, it’s probably a time where I probably need to spend a little bit more time investing in the in the body to make sure I can get through the remaining couple of tournaments I’ve got in my career.”

England are about to visit for a white-ball series which includes a T20I in Melbourne and Maxwell had been tempted to try and get himself ready for it.

“The option was there, but I was sort of ready to push the button on getting an injection on my knee to make sure I was ready for the BBL. So there was sort of a positive either way. And as soon as that door was shut, I was able to start to put some time back into my body. Eight weeks of solid rehab again to make sure I’m strong and ready for for the BBL coming up. So probably just the small fairy tale that you sort of see these your heroes and idols sort of go through. You start to sort of let your mind drift towards that, and probably no other format I probably would have asked for it, except for this one, where I feel like it’s been it’s almost felt like home over the last 15 years.”

Maxwell played 130 T20Is for Australia and scored 2897 runs (and 51 wickets) at a strike rate of 154.42. He has five centuries in the format, which is a world record he holds jointly with Rohit Sharma. He was capped seven times in Test cricket – the last of which came in 2017 – and picked up 339 runs with a best of 104 against India in Ranchi.

Source: Kiskadee Watch

(ESPN) Shane Deitz has stepped down as West Indies women’s head coach after three years in the role. Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that his tenure ended on October 31 and that this decision was “mutually agreed”.

Former West Indies men’s Test head coach Andre Coley will take charge of the women’s team on an interim basis for their upcoming series against Pakistan. The CWI is yet to officially announce the dates of the tour, but it is expected to start the second week of December.

Coley has been part of the West Indies coaching system, contributing to the High-Performance Programme and has also coached West Indies men’s A team last year.

During Deitz’s tenure, West Indies reached the semi-finals of consecutive Women’s T20 World Cups in 2024 and 2026. West Indies lost to New Zealand in 2024, while they were beaten by Australia this year.

“Shane took this team to two World Cup semi-finals in a row, and that is now the standard this group holds itself to,” CWI director of cricket Miles Bascombe said. “We thank him for it. He told us of his plans, and we agreed together that a clean handover now was best for the team. Andre brings valuable experience from across West Indies cricket system, including last year’s Men’s A-Team engagement. We appreciate his willingness to take on this assignment and ensure that preparation for Pakistan carries on without interruption.”

Reflecting on his time with the team, Deitz said: “I look back on a successful three years, and I want to thank the players, the staff, and Cricket West Indies for their support. I wish the team every success.”

Source: Kiskadee Watch

The Guyana Human Rights Association today expressed “deep dismay” over the US role in the extradition proceedings against Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed.

A statement from the GHRA follows:

The GHRA has noted with deep dismay the role being played by the USA and its legal representatives in the extradition proceedings currently underway concerning Guyana’s Opposition Leader Mr Azruddin Mohamed.

It bears recalling that the legal representation of the USA in the extradition proceedings is being paid for by the Government of Guyana, which has a partisan interest in the matter in view of the political challenge of Mr Mohamed and his WIN party to the continued paramountcy of the PPP.

It also bears recalling that the allegations against Mr Azruddin Mohamed and his father in the extradition proceedings relate to acts which took place in Guyana, rather than the USA. There is  concern in Guyana that the PPP Government is using the American government to get rid of its principal opposition.

The GHRA has already condemned the decision of Magistrate Abigail Gibbs, last Friday, 30 October, to deny bail to Mr Mohamed in a matter merely involving Mr Mohamed’s acquisition and circulation of the video recording of a shooting incident in which, to say the least, there are disputed versions of who fired shots at whom. Mr Mohamed maintains that a senior police officer tried to assassinate him.

In the extradition proceedings before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman on Monday 2 November, Counsel representing the interest of the USA made several unproven allegations against Mr Mohamed and is reportedly appealing the decision of the Chief Magistrate not to rescind the bail of Mr Mohamed. Counsel for the USA has taken on the role of a prosecutor rather than of an officer of the law watching over the interests of the USA. When, and to what extent does watching over the interests of the USA transform itself into the role of a prosecutor bearing in mind that the counsel involved is being paid for by the Government of Guyana?

The conduct of the legal representatives of the USA in this matter give cause for the deepest concern from the point of view of the proper administration of justice: first, is it proper for the USA to take on the role of prosecutor in this matter, or is legal representation of the USA meant to watch over its interest. What standards of propriety should be expected from legal counsel for the USA?

Second, is the USA doing the bidding of the Government of Guyana in the process of what is emerging as the persecution of Mr. Azruddin Mohamed who has been followed, harassed, arrested on spurious grounds, charged with what might be trumped-up charges, denied bail, kept in solitary confinement, and openly threatened from within the Guyana Police Force?

Third, who should play the role of guardian of legality and justice when the Government of Guyana and the Government of the USA are colluding in the persecution of Guyana’s Leader of the Opposition.

The GHRA calls upon the Government of the USA to reconsider its role in this matter. It also calls urgently on the International Commission of Jurists, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to act urgently for the defence of legality and justice in Guyana and for the protection of Guyana’s leader of the Opposition, Mr Azruddin Mohamed, his sisters and parents. We also encourage local civil bodies, especially the Guyana Bar Association to maintain a lively active monitoring of a case with pivotal implications for Guyana’s legal system and national independence. 

November 3, 2026

Executive Committee, 

Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) 

Source: Kiskadee Watch

By Marvin Cato | HGP Nightly News |

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce officially launched Tourism Awareness Month 2026 over the weekend at the Aiden by Best Western hotel in Georgetown, ushering in a month-long celebration anchored to the national theme, “Tourism Is Everybody’s Business.”

Delivering the feature address before government officials, private sector executives, members of the diplomatic corps, and conservation stakeholders, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues outlined a vision for the hospitality and travel industry. She emphasized that while the petroleum and natural gas sectors are driving rapid macroeconomic expansion, sustainable tourism represents the permanent cornerstone of Guyana’s long-term diversified economy.

The launch coincided with strong sector metrics, as official data showed Guyana recorded 360,623 visitor arrivals through the end of September 2026—a 10 per cent increase over the corresponding period in 2025. With passenger traffic accelerating, the Ministry confirmed it is targeting more than 500,000 visitors by the end of 2026.

Economic Diversification: Beyond Traditional Hospitality

Minister Rodrigues emphasized that the economic benefits of tourism extend far beyond hotel boardrooms, traditional resorts, and established tour agencies:

• Cross-Sector Linkages: The Minister explained that tourism serves as a direct commercial catalyst for farmers, commercial fisherfolk, overland and maritime transportation operators, indigenous craft artisans, hinterland eco-lodges, and youth-led enterprises.
• Community-Based Empowerment: Highlighting community-based tourism (CBT), Rodrigues noted that grassroots eco-enterprises create integrated local economic networks, keeping visitor expenditures directly within rural and Indigenous communities.
• Long-Term Economic Anchor: Rodrigues framed tourism as an enduring economic asset that will sustain Guyana’s cultural and natural heritage long into the future:

“Sectors like tourism will be the enduring soul, renewable lifeblood and sustainable anchor of the Guyanese economy long after the wells run dry.” — Minister Susan Rodrigues

“A successful community tourism enterprise can support an entire network of local workers and businesses.”

Service Standards, Urban Cleanliness, and Destination Pride

Highlighting the urban transformation of Georgetown, the Minister addressed the shared civic obligations necessary to protect Guyana’s international brand:

• Service Excellence and Training: Rodrigues stressed that rapid hospitality growth requires higher service delivery standards, expanded culinary and guiding certifications, and continuous workforce training to match international brand expectations.
• Infrastructure and Clean Spaces: Maintaining welcoming, sanitized, and well-lit public corridors, waterfront walkways, and heritage sites is vital. Rodrigues noted that urban cleanliness is an essential component of destination reputation and civic pride.
• Safeguarding Natural Assets: The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balancing aggressive infrastructural expansion with strict conservation frameworks to protect Guyana’s biodiversity and Indigenous cultural traditions.

Calendar of Activities: GuyExpo Tourism Village and Travel Promotions

Throughout November 2026, the Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) will roll out public and international promotional campaigns to expand market awareness:

• GuyExpo 2026 Tourism Village: A dedicated, interactive Tourism Village will be mounted at GuyExpo 2026 to spotlight community tourism circuits, cultural exhibits, and domestic travel itineraries.
• Discounted Travel Specials: Tour operators, domestic aviation charters, and eco-resorts are offering promotional booking rates to stimulate domestic travel and encourage Guyanese to explore interior destinations.
• Product Expansion and Digital Outreach: The month will feature the unveiling of new adventure tourism circuits, digital influencer campaigns, and awareness programs across schools and regional communities.

Concluding the launch, Minister Rodrigues called on citizens, corporate leaders, and young entrepreneurs to take personal ownership of the sector, reiterating that delivering memorable visitor experiences requires collective collaboration and national pride.