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Determined Stoinis will be back: Marsh

3 minute read

Mitch Marsh says Marcus Stoinis, who was dumped from Cricket Australia's national contract list, is a determined player and will be back at the highest level.

MARCUS STOINIS
MARCUS STOINIS Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty Images

Mitch Marsh feels for Marcus Stoinis after his fellow allrounder was left off Cricket Australia's national contract list, proving a year can be an awful long time in cricket.

Marsh was dumped from the list and left out of Australia's one-day World Cup squad a year ago, when Stoinis was unquestionably the nation's premier allrounder.

The duo have since traded places.

National selectors haven't picked Stoinis since that World Cup, even after he finished the BBL's leading run-scorer, while Marsh is back in favour and could be gearing up for this year's Twenty20 World Cup.

"You feel for everyone who misses out on a contract," Marsh told reporters.

"The game of cricket is so fickle. It doesn't take much to get back in the frame.

"I know Stoin is a very determined bloke, he's loved around the squad and loved in Western Australia.

"I'm sure he'll be back. I also know he'll be disappointed and I really feel for him."

Stoinis scored 705 runs at the top of the order for Melbourne Stars during the previous BBL season.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns argued the top order of Australia's T20 side was loaded with talent, meaning there was no room for Stoinis.

"He's always high in our thoughts and ranked reasonably well in T20 cricket, but the other forms of the game let him down," Hohns said.

"He wants to play long-form cricket for Australia, he wants to play one-day cricket (for Australia), as all players do.

"It comes back to performance in those forms of the game. It comes back to scoring hundreds, particularly in the longest form of the game, that's the sort of feedback we've been giving Marcus all along."

Marsh suggested his return to the contract list came after a lot of hard work.

"I was sitting having a coffee with dad, 12 months ago, and obviously extremely gutted to have lost my contract and been left out of the World Cup squad," he said.

"It does turn around quickly ... within four months I was playing in the Test team."

Hohns noted the selection panel believed Marsh was "coming into his peak years".

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