Marcus Stoinis ruled out of West Indies T20Is: Details here
Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. The 33-year-old is yet to recover from a side strain he suffered in early September. With the ICC T20 World Cup around the corner, the Australian team management would want Stoinis to gain fitness sooner than later. The two-match series begins on October 5.
A look at the latest developments
Australia will host West Indies in two T20Is, starting October 5. Stoinis hasn't traveled with the squad to the Gold Coast for the series opener. He has stayed back in Perth where he is expected to link up with the squad following the conclusion of the West Indies series. Notably, Stoinis suffered the injury during the ODI series against New Zealand in Cairns.
Australia sweating over Stoinis' fitness
Australia's subsequent assignment will be a three-match T20I series against arch-rivals England The England T20Is will get underway on October 9, with the opener taking place in Perth. The Aussies will play one more warm-up match against India before kickstarting their T20 WC campaign against New Zealand on October 22. Hence, Stoinis' fitness status can be critical to Australia's chances in the tournament.
Oppurtunity for Tim David
It must be noted that Australia have some potent options in case Stoinis misses out. Tim David made his Australia debut in the recently-concluded T20I series against India and made his presence felt straight away. Batting at number six, David scored a quickfire 18 on debut to take his side over the line. He also scored a 27-ball 54 in the decider.
Cameron Green knocking the doors
Another contender to replace Stoinis is Cameron Green, who has been sensational lately. He scored two fiery fifties while opening against India and was pretty impactful with the ball as well. So far, he has scored 120 runs in four T20Is, with his strike rate being over 190. He has also scalped three wickets in the format.
How Marcus Stoinis has fared this year?
Stoinis, a vital part of Australia's white-ball sides, has been pretty impressive in 2022. In 28 T20 appearances this year, the dasher scored 476 runs at a strike rate of nearly 160. Stoinis, who bowls medium-pace has also taken nine wickets at an economy rate of 8.63. Hence, Australia won't like to miss out on his services.
