Marcus Stoinis has been named the new captain of the Melbourne Stars for the upcoming Big Bash League (BBL) season, succeeding Glenn Maxwell, who stepped down at the end of last summer.
Although Stoinis was considered for the interim captaincy during Maxwell’s extended injury absence in the 2022-23 season, the role was ultimately given to Adam Zampa.
Now the second player after Maxwell to play 100 BBL matches for the Stars, the 35-year-old recently signed a three-year contract extension, securing his position at the club through the 2026-27 season.
"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 honour," Stoinis said.
"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," he added.
Stars General Manager Blair Crouch commended Maxwell for his exceptional leadership over the past five seasons and expressed confidence in Stoinis's capability to successfully guide the team moving forward.
"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 said.
"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 at the Stars almost since our inception lead our club in BBL14."
While the Aussie middle-order batter prepares for his new role, the Stars are likely to face a depleted lineup at the start of the season.
Maxwell's recovery timeline from his hamstring injury remains unclear, casting doubt on his availability for the season opener.
Additionally, Scott Boland and Beau Webster will be unavailable as they are part of Australia's Test squad, while overseas signings Ben Duckett and Osama Mir will miss the first three games due to prior commitments.
Meanwhile, the Melbourne Renegades have strengthened their squad by signing Victoria duo Marcus Harris and Xavier Crone for BBL14.
The Brisbane Heat, addressing a series of injury concerns, have signed all-rounder Jack Wildermuth and plan to add three local replacement players in the coming week.
This follows news of Michael Neser’s hamstring injury, while Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne remain unavailable until the conclusion of the Australia-India Test series in early January.
- Marcus Stoinis
