Marcus Stoinis Honored to Take Over as Captain of Melbourne Stars
Click to start listening
Melbourne, Dec 11 (NationPress) Marcus Stoinis, the newly appointed captain of Melbourne Stars for the forthcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, conveyed his appreciation and enthusiasm regarding his new role, accentuating his long-standing ties with the team and his faith in the squad's capabilities.
Stoinis takes over from Glenn Maxwell, who resigned from the captaincy at the conclusion of the previous summer.
"I had a little bit of a taste of captaining the side in Maxi's absence last year and loved the opportunity, so to be given the role full-time is a great honor," Stoinis mentioned in a statement from the club. "The Stars have been such a constant in my life every summer for the last 10 years, and I truly believe that the group we have assembled both on and off the field can bring some long-overdue success to the club."
Stoinis, who recently secured a three-year contract extension, will stay with the Stars until the end of the 2026-27 season. He is the second player after Maxwell to reach the milestone of 100 matches for the Stars and had previously captained the team once last season while Maxwell was unavailable.
Stars General Manager Blair Crouch recognized Maxwell's contributions as captain over the last five seasons, stressing his continued importance to the team even as he steps back from the captaincy.
"First of all, I want to acknowledge and thank Glenn Maxwell for all his efforts in leading the side over the past five seasons. He will continue to be a wonderful resource for everyone at the club," Crouch stated. "Marcus demonstrated his leadership ability last year and has been a senior member of the side for a long time. It's wonderful to have someone who has been with the Stars almost from our inception lead our club in BBL14."
Stoinis' debut as captain is anticipated to be a tough challenge, as the Stars are likely to start the season with a weakened lineup. Glenn Maxwell's recovery from a hamstring injury is still uncertain, and he is expected to miss the opening match.
Furthermore, Scott Boland and Beau Webster will be unavailable due to their commitments with the Australian Test side. International signings Ben Duckett and Osama Mir will also be absent for the first three games of the season.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Renegades have finalized their team by signing Victorian players Marcus Harris and Xavier Crone. The Brisbane Heat have also completed their roster with the addition of allrounder Jack Wildermuth. However, the Heat face similar early-season obstacles, as Michael Neser is out with a hamstring injury, and Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne will remain unavailable until the conclusion of the Australia-India Test series on January 8.
