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MELBOURNE: Victorian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis will replace the injured Mitchell Marsh in Australia’s One-day International squad for the ongoing series against Pakistan, Cricket Australia said on Monday.
Meanwhile, Australia’s leading strike bowler Mitchell Starc has been rested for third fixture in Perth on Thursday. The left-armer will re-join the squad in Sydney for the fourth match in the five-leg series.
“Mitchell has had a very big six months and played a significant amount of cricket,” said interim national selector Trevor Hohns. “We needed to find an opportunity to give him a break and with his schedule in the comings months we believe now is the appropriate time to give him a match off.”
Pace-bowling all-rounder Marsh has been ruled out of the remainder of the five-match series with a shoulder injury, which he sustained in Australia’s loss against Pakistan in the second one-dayer at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.
Australia have already added batsman Peter Handscomb to their squad with Chris Lynn ruled out of Thursday’s third ODI in Perth due to an ongoing neck injury.
Marsh has been managing his shoulder but can’t keep going any longer, said physiotherapist David Beakley.
“It is now at a point where he is unable to function at the level required. He now requires a period of rest and rehabilitation in order to return to full fitness,” Beakley said.
Marsh, aged 25, was named in Australia’s 16-man squad to tour India next month and hopes to recover in time.
Stoinis has a single One-day International for Australia to his name, against England in 2015.
The 27-year-old will play Melbourne Stars’ Big Bash Twenty20 match against Brisbane Heat on Tuesday before he and leg-spinner Adam
Zampa, who has been released from the squad to play in the same match, join the one-day team in Perth on Wednesday.
The series is tied at 1-1 after Australia won the opener in Brisbane by 92 runs before Pakistan bounced back in Melbourne.
The victory was also Pakistan’s first ODI win at the MCG since 1985 and levelled the series at 1-1.
Published in Dawn January 17th, 2017
