A one format player now, 35-year-old Australia and Punjab Kings all-rounder Marcus Stoinis desires to push boundaries by playing for long and he says, a ready reckoner in the way to do it has already been created by 40-plus stalwarts like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Faf du Plessis. The cricketing world was left surprised together with his decision to retire from ODIs ahead of the Champions Trophy but in a conversation with PTI, the player from Perth said he took the decision after due deliberation and it was the one way he could extend his profession.
With absolute clarity about his future, he now desires to put all his energies into playing T20 cricket for Australia and world wide. On top of his wish-list is featuring within the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics where cricket shall be played.
“Yeah, absolutely. I still am going to be available playing international cricket for Australia within the T20 format. It was just a call to step away from at some point cricket, which, look, with the at some point World Cup still quite a distance away (2027),” said Stoinis when asked asked if he has made peace together with his decision.
“I’m a competitor and I need to be playing for so long as I can. And I believe that call allows me to have more longevity and play slightly than attempting to squeeze all the pieces into my calendar.
“T20 is my bread and butter…That is where my skills are best performed,” added the all-rounder who returns to Punjab Kings after almost a decade.
Faf and Dhoni have set a pleasant blueprint for me
He continues to be greater than 4 years away from entering 40s but what Du Plessis (Delhi Capitals) and Dhoni (Chennai Super Kings) are in a position to do at their age is inspiring for Stoinis, who too is supremely fit and is among the many hardest hitters of the cricket ball.
“I actually benefit from the cricket side of things, but I also enjoy the approach to life of being healthy, being able to go. Someone like Faf Du Plessis, you see him at 40. He’s in nearly as good a shape as ever.
“His energy is high as ever. I mean, that is a pleasant blueprint for me, I believe. And we’re probably pretty similar like that. So, that is where I see my profession. We’re in an amazing era to have the opportunity to play longer.
“Even guys like MS…(in) especially T20 that we thought perhaps up to now was a youngster’s game. It’s shown that the experience, the calm head, all that kind of stuff.” Stoinis is worked up by the prospect of an extended profession.
“…longevity of being in sport is something that actually excites me, that challenge,” said Stonis, who could never play Test cricket despite having decent first-class experience.
Coming from a sporting nation like Australia, Stoinis’ eyes lit up on the mention of cricket’s return to the Olympics after 128 years.
“I’d like to be there. What an exciting time for cricketers. Cricket’s just going from strength to strength world wide generally, but then to have it within the Olympics, it’s awesome.”
Impact Player diminishes usefulness of all-rounders
Being a world class all-rounder himself, Stoinis agrees with the likes of Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma who’ve expressed their reservations in regards to the Impact Player rule within the IPL. He too feels that it affects the event of young players with multi-dimensional skills.
“To be honest, I believe it does diminish the usefulness of an all-rounder. And it does mean that it is very hard for an all-rounder to get into the team unless you are used because the impact player. I’d think for Indian cricket, you’d wish to develop your all-rounders as fast as possible.
Stoinis also supported BCCI’s decision to introduce two-year bans for overseas players in the event that they pull out on the last minute, something that England’s Harry Brook did this 12 months.
“Look, when you’re committed and in such a giant competition where teams are constructing around individuals and that kind of thing, it (the ban) does make sense if it’s still worked together with the individual that’s pulling out,” he said.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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