Greek Australian cricket all-rounder, Marcus Stoinis, has unselfishly helped young prodigy, Cameron Green, in his meteoric rise to international level, but could this week become a victim of his own generosity.
Stoinis is all that stands between Green making his international debut for Australia at the SCG on Friday, with selectors facing the first of several difficult calls this summer on incumbency versus the future.
Green doesn’t have an especially strong 50-over domestic record, but the One Day International series (ODI) against India could be the perfect chance to test the all-rounder’s credentials at the highest level – and get some valuable overs under his belt – before the Test summer.
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However, Stoinis is coming off a strong Indian Premier League (IPL) and is the more noted white ballplayer, having also performed solidly in all six of Australia’s most recent T20 and ODI matches in England in September.
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Green’s stunning emergence is it has come out of Western Australia, where Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh are both current all-round international stars themselves and still in the prime of their careers.
If Greg Chappell is right in his prediction about Green being a generational superstar, then Stoinis may never realise his dream to play Test cricket.
But if Stoinis is worried about being overtaken by the 21-year-old kid he has helped guide over the past few years, it hasn’t shown.
“I have no doubt that Mitch and Stoin will be having one eye on Greeny,” WA bowling coach, Matt Mason, told The Daily Telegraph recently.
“But I also know as well that they’ve been massively a big part of his development. Particularly Stoin.
READ MORE: Marcus Stoinis crowned Big Bash League player of the season.
“Stoin has spent a huge amount of time with him in the winter, which was great to see. I think they all recognise that as long as they’re doing their thing and they’re performing, they don’t need to worry either.
“Greeny has got the runs on the board and the performances, but actually, they’ve been more of a help to him than you can possibly imagine – especially in the modern world where you would think given the competition for places it’s every man for himself.
“That’s certainly not the case.”
Source: The Daily Telegraph.
