Ian Chappell column: Marcus Stoinis part of new breed of BBL-inspired short-form master blasters

PLAYING in the intensity of the BBL has young Australian players well prepared both technically and temperamentally for the shorter forms of the game.

Marcus Stoinis’ incredible knock against New Zealand showed the strength of Australia’s all-rounders, in the short form of the game at least.

AUSTRALIA’S fascination with all-rounders took another intriguing twist with the freakish — albeit futile — knock played by Marcus Stoinis against New Zealand.

Stoinis blitzed the Kiwi attack to amass 65% of Australia’s runs while he was at the crease. This included adding fifty-four for the last wicket with Josh Hazlewood who was eventually run out without facing a ball. Stoinis didn’t just farm the strike, he harvested it.

I recall another memorable ODI knock that compares with Stoinis’ for complete mastery of the opposition. At Old Trafford in 1984, the ebullient Viv Richards was true to the nickname Master Blaster, as he raced to 189 not out, amassing 72% of the West Indies runs while he was at the crease.

However, Stoinis’ strike rate in Auckland was an incredible 125 and this included eleven sixes, while Richards’ was a comparatively sedate 111, with ONLY five sixes. The other notable differences were, Stoinis was chasing while Richards was setting a target and the former is a novice at international level while the latter was already a household name.

Marcus Stoinis’ show against New Zealand was one for the BBL age.

This was an incredible feat by Stoinis, someone I viewed as a 1-2-3-4 player when I first saw him bat. By that I mean a very stiff looking, formulated player; one who you could visualise the coach saying; “Right son one, back lift; two, front foot to the pitch of the ball; three, bat to the ball; four, follow through.”

The next time I witnessed his batting he was a totally different player. There was much more freedom of movement and this released some brutally powerful shots when he hit down the ground. He displayed all those elements at Eden Park, clearing both short and long boundaries with ease.

However, there was much more to his innings; the calm, clear-headed assault on a decent bowling attack was as clinical as it was brutal. And the way he shepherded his lower order partners towards the distant target was masterful and deserved a better fate.

Mitchell Marsh is one of a raft of all-rounders vying for an Australia spot.

There’s been much hand-wringing recently over the way the burgeoning BBL tournament has overshadowed the Sheffield Shield competition. After watching Stoinis produce his blistering counter attack, it occurred to me that while the BBL might not properly prepare players for the intricacies of Test cricket, it does have them well and truly primed for a run chase or an assault on the bowling.

Playing in such a highly competitive environment as the BBL, in front of large crowds, certainly has young Australian players well prepared both technically and temperamentally for the shorter forms of the game.

The challenge ahead for Cricket Australia is to ensure that the production line continues to provide a mix of talented young players coming through the system; enough to maintain a competitive Test side, in addition to continued success in short form cricket.

This will require a wideranging approach to the coaching and development of young players and a broad view of Shield cricket, rather than purely looking at it from the financial perspective. With the splurge on ageing debutant batsmen making the Australian Test side in the last decade, maybe it’s the mental development of young first-class players that needs to be improved.

Moises Henriques has proved himself in the white heat of BBL conflict.

In the meantime, Australia has an enviable list of all-rounders, especially for the short forms of the game. Imagine the selectorial headache if the following are all available for short form games; Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Moises Henriques and now Stoinis.

Then there’s Hylton Cartwright, recently selected in the Test side, who could develop into a batting all-rounder capable of playing all forms of the game.

There’s no doubt the younger Marsh is the most intriguing of that group with his pace bowling and powerful hitting ability. Nevertheless, Stoinis is now a serious challenger to Marsh, as his bowling is also lively and he’s displayed the ability required to bat at six in a Test side.

With so many challengers for so few spots it’s going to be interesting to see who bursts from the pack. Stoinis just began his sprint to the finish line in Auckland.