Marcus Stoinis, Australia all-rounder, World Cup 2019 Player Full Profile: Stoinis' all-round skills key to Australia's chances in quadrennial event

Marcus Stoinis came into the limelight after his mind-boggling innings of 146* in his second game for Australia. Arriving at the crease at 54 for the loss of 5 wickets, Stoinis plundered 11 sixes and nine fours to showcase his supremacy and brute power. Nicknamed the ‘The Hulk’ due to his bulging muscles, Stoinis has been a vital cog in the Australia limited overs setup for two years. [caption id=“attachment_4036235” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Marcus Stoinis celebrates a wicket. Image courtesy: Twitter @CricketAus[/caption] Stoinis is the only fast bowling all-rounder in the 15-man squad which makes him a priceless commodity. In 33 matches for Australia, he is averaging 38.52 with the bat and 46.23 with the ball. Stoinis is expected to bat at No.5 or No.6 and will be given the duties of finishing the innings with the bat. His incredible strength and ability to loft the ball down the ground makes him a terror to bowl to at the end. While he had a wretched series against Pakistan scoring 10, 2 and 4 in his last three innings, his form over the past 12 months has been exceptional. However, one weakness in Stoinis’ game is his inability to rotate strike. He tends to consume too many dot balls and is predominately a boundary hitter. Stoinis is a wily medium pacer that likes to bang the ball into the deck and has a range of cutters in his armoury. In recent times, he has been assigned the duties to bowl at the death and through the middle phase of the match. He is expected to share the fifth bowling duties with Glenn Maxwell and will be targeted by the opposition. But as he has shown throughout his ODI career, he has an uncanny knack of taking a wicket and breaking an important partnership. Stoinis’ contribution with the bat and ball will be crucial to Australia’s chances. For all the latest news, opinions and analysis from ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, click here