Marcus Stoinis believes Australia have covered all the bases while preparing their squad for the upcoming ICC ODI World Cup, scheduled to be played in India this October-November. Stoinis shared his opinion about Australia’s chance in the blockbuster event as he suggested that Australia have roped in the best options in each department to bolster the World Cup-bound squad.
“I must agree that we have a very good side. If you look at each department of the game, you will see Australia has all the bases covered,” Stonis said on Revsports.
Stoinis thinks Australia has got some good top-order batters, who are able to set the tempo of the game with their big-hitting prowess. Then come players like Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green as well as Stoinis himself who can use the foundation well and take charge of the middle order. The 34-year-old also showed his faith in Australia’s bowling unit featuring the likes of captain Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa.
“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,” Stoinis explained.
The Aussie big man did admit that they have built “a well-rounded team.” But he refused to take “the tag of favourites.” “While we do have a very good side, these tags don’t really mean much to us as players,” Stoinis added.
During the conversation, Stoinis further spoke about his own preparation, while also underlining why his experience of playing in the IPL will come in handy in the ODI World Cup. According to him, these big tournaments come as an opportunity where a cricketer can show what he is capable of doing for his country.
In this regard, the all-rounder acknowledged that he has learnt a lot from legendary captains Ricky Ponting and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who could take their nations to significant heights during their playing days. “You visualise 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,” Stoinis explained.
Apart from Stoinis, Australian players like David Warner, Maxwell, Zampa, Hazlewood, Cummins and Green have already featured in the IPL and know the mantra of performing well on Indian soil.
“We have a very clear idea of the conditions and what are the kind of pitches that we might encounter during the World Cup. These things make a huge difference,” Stoinis said.
When it comes to ICC tournaments, Australia has always been a team to watch. A few months back, they defeated India to take home their maiden World Test Championship (WTC) title. The Pat Cummins-led side will begin their campaign in the ODI World Cup with a mega clash against hosts India on October 8.
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