Marcus Stoinis on verge of return to World Cup action
Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis is just one training session away from returning to the team to play Bangladesh at the World Cup.
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Update: Marcus Stoinis has made remarkable recovery from a side strain injury and is on track to return for Australia against Bangladesh on Thursday night.
Coach Justin Langer confirmed on Tuesday night that Stoinis was in the frame to return if he gets through Wednesday night’s final training session.
“He moved really well batting, so he’s a chance,” Langer said.
“He’s an elite athlete isn’t he? He wouldn’t give up the opportunity (of playing in a World Cup) for anything.
“It doesn’t surprise me where he is now. Hopefully he can have a real impact on the tournament.”
Australia brought Ashton Agar to training on Tuesday night to help their players prepare for Bangladesh allrounder Shakib Al Hasan.
Mitchell Marsh was rushed over to England last week as cover for Stoinis and has been training with the team as selectors considered making a permanent change to the 15-man squad.
But Stoinis passed a fitness test overnight, where he bowled 12 balls off a short run-up and 12 balls off a long run-up under the watchful eyes of Cricket Australia’s medical team.
Stoinis, 29, was then given the green light to join his teammates in the nets at Trent Bridge, where he bowled to batsmen and then batted himself, completing a rigorous three-hour training session.
If Stoinis trains strongly again on Wednesday night then he is set to replace either Shaun Marsh or Usman Khawaja against Bangladesh as Australia targets a 5-1 start to the World Cup.
Most bowlers miss about a month with side strains, but Stoinis has sat out just two matches since suffering the low-grade injury 10 days ago, while bowling against India.
Stoinis appeared to bowl pain-free during his fitness test, which took place on an isolated pitch at Trent Bridge. Stoinis also completed outfield catches and throwing drills following the team warm-up.
He took every catch and was also able to fire the ball back at the stumps with his powerful right arm. The only part of training Stoinis sat out was a mini game of catch volleyball, when he stood to the side.
Stoinis was in the Taunton nets batting during and after Australia’s win against Pakistan last week, which was just three days after he went down, He attempted to bowl for the first time at a secret training session in Nottingham on Monday night.
That two-hour session, which was not declared by team management and saw Stoinis, Mitch Marsh and Nathan Coulter-Nile (s, paved the way for Stoinis to press his fitness claims at Australia’s main training session on Tuesday night.
The return of Stoinis will add some much-needed balance to Australia’s line-up.
His absence forced captain Aaron Finch to bowl two overs against Pakistan and also contributed to specialist spinner Adam Zampa falling out of the team.
Unless Mitch Marsh takes Stoinis’s place in the World Cup squad he will travel an hour down the road to play for Australia A against Northamptonshire on Wednesday night.
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