Marcus Stoinis will be key to the Australian middle order and will also have the responsibility of picking key wickets with the ball. With a fantastic behind him where he scored 480 runs at a strike rate of 170 plus for the Lucknow Super Giants, Stoinis is a confident man and is looking ahead to yet another successful World Cup campaign with the Australian team.
Australia have maintained a consistent core of players across formats, resulting in strong team chemistry and regular performances. Their recent victories in the T20 World Cup in 2021 and the World Test Championship (WTC) against India in 2023 highlight their versatility and success in different formats. They have set their sights on the 50-over World Cup scheduled for October-November 2023 in India.
“I tend to agree with you that we have a very good side. If you take a look at each department of the game, you will see Australia has all the bases covered. We have power hitters at the top of the order who can set the tempo, we have some fantastic batters in the middle order and then we have a good lower middle order who can make tangible contributions. With the ball, we have fantastic fast bowlers and some very good spin options. So it is a well-rounded team and I certainly would like to believe we will have a very good World Cup campaign. Having said that I don’t think I agree with the tag of favourites. There are a number of teams which are very good and they have some very good players. So while we do have a very good side, these tags don’t really mean much to us as players,” said Marcus Stoinis on Australia’s World Cup chances. On his own preparation for the World Cup, the Australian all-rounder said, “I consider these tournaments as huge opportunities to do something for the team. I am in that stage of my career now where I know each tournament is an opportunity. To try and make a serious difference. Whatever is asked of me, bat, bowl or field, my hand is up. Wherever my team wants me to play, I am ready. Finishing, as we have discussed in the past, is an art. I have spoken a lot about it to Ricky Ponting and learnt a lot from MS Dhoni. You visualize situations where you are there in the middle for your team in a critical situation and you are vested with the responsibility of winning the game. These are occasions you live for as a player and I am no different.” Saying that the IPL experience will help Australian players a great deal, Stoinis stated, “I am now going into my 9th season of the IPL next year. A lot of the other players like Dave Warner, Maxi, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, and now Cameron Green all play the IPL and it makes a massive difference. We have a very clear idea of the conditions and what are the kind of pitches that we might encounter during the World Cup. We also know the angles in each ground, the dimensions of boundaries, where to play our shots etc. These things make a huge difference in a high-pressure tournament like the World Cup.”
