Maxwell started playing club cricket three weeks ago after a brief break © Getty

Glenn Maxwell will lead Melbourne Stars in the upcoming Big Bash League, having returned from his break to deal with mental health difficulties, it was confirmed on Thursday (October 12). The allrounder had taken a break in October but has joined the Stars pre-season camp to gear up for the tournament.

"We're pleased to see Glenn in green and ready to lead our side with a big season ahead. He's an incredible talent and a key part of our club but health and well-being comes first and it's important that he's been able to take some time away to focus on that," Head coach David Hussey said.

"We're pretty excited with how our list looks and what we're going to bring to the table. We were obviously very close last season and want to go that one step further. We've got a great bunch of guys and I can't wait to see what this group can produce this summer."

Maxwell started playing club cricket three weeks ago after a brief break and appeared for Fitzroy-Doncaster. He's also thrown his hat into the ring and is set to go under the hammer in IPL auction on December 19. Stars, who have signed the likes of Dale Steyn, Pat Brown and Sandeep Lamichhane as their overseas picks, start their campaign against Brisbane Heat on December 20.