LONDON: Australia’s Marcus Stoinis, the talented all-rounder, is confident the pay dispute engulfing Australian cricket won’t prove a distraction for Steve Smith’s men during the upcoming Champions Trophy in the UK.

Australia is one of the favourites for the prestigious 50-over tournament starting on June 1 but the festering pay dispute is hovering over the team. The dispute shows no signs of abating before the June 30 deadline and Australian players have warned of a boycott after that date if a resolution can’t be brokered. The sticking point between the sparring parties is centred on a revenue sharing model that Cricket Australia wants to overhaul in a bid for greater flexibility to deliver funds.

Stoinis, who is part of Australia’s 15-man Champions Trophy squad, believed the festering pay dispute would not be a distraction. “It’s not really been talked about, it is what it is,” he said on Sunday (May 21). “This kind of stuff happens when the MOU is up and we’ve got the ACA looking at that on our behalf. Hopefully, it doesn’t get to that stage [strike action], nobody wants to see that happen.

“I don’t think it will happen ... but we’ll see. We’re here to play cricket and try and win this tournament,” he added.

Stoinis feared his Champions Trophy campaign had ended after injuring his shoulder in the Indian Premier League earlier this month. However, the 27-year-old is confident of being fit for Australia’s opening match against New Zealand on June 2.

“Initially they said I would be four to six weeks in a sling but that changed pretty quickly when I got home,” he said. “But it’s all been good news since then. The doctors and medical team are happy. That’s half the thing with an injury, your mind goes to what you might miss out on.

“I am really looking forward to this opportunity again. You don’t get many with the Australia team and hopefully I can keep my place and contribute,” he added.

Stoinis has only played three One-Day Inte­rnationals for Aus­tralia but produced a herculean performance earlier this year during an unbeaten 146 against New Zealand at Eden Park. Amid a powerful squad, Stoinis is fully aware spots in Australia’s line-up will be hotly contested.

“It’s such a good team and there’s probably only a few guaranteed spots in there so everything’s up for grabs,” he said. “We’ve got a couple of practice games ... you’ve just got to take your opportunity and hopefully I get one.”

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2017