Ricky Ponting nabs Marcus Stoinis in IPL auction in bid to rejuvenate the Aussie all rounder
Two years after Ricky Ponting bought Glenn Maxwell at the IPL auction in a bid to unlock his potential, the Aussie great has gone all in on Marcus Stoinis, hoping to help him get back to the top of the international perch.
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Ricky Ponting has taken on ‘Project Marcus Stoinis’ with the Australian legend looming as the man who can save the fallen all-rounder’s international career.
Two years after purchasing Glenn Maxwell for $1.7 million in the Indian Premier League in a bid to unlock his glittering potential, Ponting has thrown the chequebook at another unfulfilled all-rounder.
Ponting’s Delhi Capitals bought Stoinis for $980,000 in the IPL auction having declared earlier this year that he should be batting at No.3 for Australia.
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That compliment came in England, where Ponting pledged to take Stoinis under his wing with one-on-one nurturing during the World Cup.
But Stoinis fell out of favour and he has since been axed from both white-ball squads.
“I like his presence and his ball-striking ability,” Ponting said on the cusp of the showpiece tournament.
“If there’s been a knock on his batting, it’s been that he he’s a bit of a shaky, nervous starter and takes a lot of balls to get moving.
“I just like the overall package with him really.
“He’s probably our best outfielder. I’m working with him a lot on a daily basis and I think he can have a big impact on this World Cup.”
Stoinis, 30, savoured every moment of those daily lessons and the upcoming IPL stint under Ponting at Delhi Capitals shapes as the perfect platform to relaunch his career.
Stoinis soaked up a wealth of knowledge from IPL teammates Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers this year although he was not retained by Royal Challengers Bangalore.
The Melbourne Stars opener stood at the nonstriker’s end as de Villiers swept a fast bowler onto the roof at Bangalore and asked for a tutorial on that shot.
‘AB’ taught Stoinis the basics such as standing still at the crease instead of searching for shots that aren’t there while Kohli’s lessons were more mental.
“If you go into a contest with more belief and more energy and more conviction than the bowler running in, then (Kohli) feels 99/100 he’ll come out on top,” Stoinis said.
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Stoinis is a keen learner and tapped Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga on the shoulder after a World Cup practice match keen for a workshop on his famous slower ball.
Fellow IPL teammate Dale Steyn also loved playing with Stoinis and the pair will reunite when Steyn makes his Big Bash debut for Stars in Moe tomorrow.
On Maxwell, Ponting told the Herald Sun at the time: “One of the main reasons I picked him up in the auction is I actually think I can bring the best out of him — he’s got huge talents and huge potential”.