Allrounder fit to fly with squad to UK after recovering from IPL shoulder injury
Stoinis cleared for Champions Trophy
Victorian allrounder Marcus Stoinis has been declared fit for the ICC Champions Trophy and will travel with several members of the Australia squad from Brisbane to London on Thursday night.
Stoinis, who was forced to leave his stint with Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League early due to a shoulder injury, bowled today at the Bupa National Cricket Centre in Brisbane and was passed fit by team support staff.
The allrounder injured the shoulder diving for a ball while warming-up for Punjab's match against Royal Challengers Bangalore on May 5 and, after undergoing scans in India, headed to the NCC for rehab in a bid to prove his fitness for the upcoming ODI tournament.
It was confirmed today that the 27-year-old has done exactly that, with a Cricket Australia spokesperson saying "he bowled today and medical staff were happy with his progress".
Australia's first warm-up game for the Champions Trophy is in London on May 26 against Sri Lanka, before a second fixture against Pakistan on May 29 in Birmingham.
Their first match in the tournament proper is against the Black Caps on June 3, also in Birmingham.
With James Faulkner having been overlooked for a spot in the 15-man squad, Stoinis looms as a likely inclusion in Australia's best XI, having played in Australia's two most recent ODIs, against New Zealand on the tour across the Tasman in January-February.
In the first of those matches he took three wickets and blazed a record-breaking 146 not out to take Australia to within a whisker of a remarkable come-from-behind win.
He followed it up with a mature 42 in the final ODI of that series, prompting coach Darren Lehmann to suggest big things may await the powerful right-hander.
"Now he's got that belief, the world's his oyster," Lehmann said at the time.
"It's up to him to keep kicking goals and away he goes."
Stoinis had a disappointing time of things in the recent IPL, playing five matches and contributing just 17 runs with the bat from three innings, while also taking two wickets.
He will now head to London alongside Lehmann and the remainder of the squad's Australia-based players, while those currently in India will arrive after their respective IPL campaigns end.
AUSTRALIA SQUAD: Steve Smith (c), David Warner, Pat Cummins, Aaron Finch, John Hastings, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Moises Henriques, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa
Champions Trophy 2017 Guide
Squads: Every Champions Trophy squad
Group A: Australia, New Zealand, England, Bangladesh.
Group B: India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Pakistan.
Schedule
Warm-up matches
26 May – Australia v Sri Lanka, The Oval
27 May – Bangladesh v Pakistan, Edgbaston
28 May – India v New Zealand, The Oval
29 May – Australia v Pakistan, Edgbaston
30 May – New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Edgbaston
30 May – Bangladesh vs India, The Oval
Tournament
1 June – England v Bangladesh, The Oval (Day)
2 June – Australia v New Zealand, Edgbaston (D)
3 June – Sri Lanka v South Africa, The Oval (D)
4 June – India v Pakistan, Edgbaston (D)
5 June – Australia v Bangladesh, The Oval (D/N)
6 June – England v New Zealand, Cardiff (D)
7 June – Pakistan v South Africa, Edgbaston (D/N)
8 June – India v Sri Lanka, The Oval (D)
9 June – New Zealand v Bangladesh, Cardiff (D)
10 June – England v Australia, Edgbaston (D)
11 June – India v South Africa, The Oval (D)
12 June – Sri Lanka v Pakistan, Cardiff (D)
14 June – First semi-final (A1 v B2), Cardiff (D)
15 June – Second semi-final (A2 v B1), Edgbaston (D)
18 June – Final, The Oval (D)
19 June – Reserve day (D)