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Massive boost to have Warner and Smith back in the team: Stoinis

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, said on Tuesday that the return of David Warner and Steve Smith to the World Cup squad was a massive boost for the team in the quadrennial big bash.

Massive boost to have Warner and Smith back in the team: Stoinis

Bengaluru, April 23: Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, who is playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, said on Tuesday that the return of David Warner and Steve Smith to the World Cup squad was a massive boost for the team in the quadrennial big bash. He said their addition will add to the strength of the Australian side.

On Smith and Warner back:

It’s a massive boost. Also the fact that people stepped up in the last 3-4 months and we started winning games consistently. It all adds to the mixture and definitely adds to a World Cup winning combination.

Australia have won 8 matches on the trot. How confident are you with that kind of form?

I think everyone is really confident (going into the World Cup). Eight wins, to have them all away from home, I think is very important for us. We needed it as well. We lost a lot of games over the last year or so. It’s good timing and everyone started to believe in each other and we started to play well as a team.

What led to the turnaround?

From the outside it might look like all of a sudden, big shift but I think it also shows the game of cricket is only about minor details. I think even in the time we were losing, we learnt a lot, starting getting closer in a lot of games. There were a lot of close game we were losing and then on the flip side a lot of them were close games as well. Even the first two we lost (to India), we had a good chance to win them. It just shows how strong the competition of cricket is all over the world, any team can win on any day. But also the belief we have in each other. It’s come a long way to help us.

On his role in the Australian team:

I don’t think it will change too much I think. I am assuming I will be batting in the middle-order, whether that’s 5 or 6, I am not sure. And then with the ball, doing my stuff. We are very fortunate to have Glenn Maxwell bowling pretty well at the moment. I see probably myself and him sharing the overs as a fifth bowling option.

On adapting from T20 to ODIs:

I think it’s okay for me from T20 to ODI cricket, especially with the role I would probably be playing in the middle-order. I don’t think there is any better preparation than playing the IPL, in front of these crowds, with all the pressure and all the external factors that go on, I think IPL makes it one of the strongest competition in the world.

Sharing the dressing room with Kohli:

I have known Virat for a while. So it’s probably much better playing with him than against him. Yeah, I have learnt quite a bit from him. His passion definitely rubs off on everyone in the change room. He is very clear, very determined, he knows what he wants to do. So it’s good to watch one of the best in the world, or one of the best of all time to go about his stuff.

Story first published: Tuesday, April 23, 2019, 19:23 [IST]
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