Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis has been replaced in the squad by Spencer Johnson for the upcoming three-match T20I series against New Zealand. Stoinis, who missed the last match against the West Indies due to a back injury, will be replaced by Johnson, as confirmed by Cricket Australia in a recent statement.
Stoinis sustained a back injury during the warm-up of the second T20I against West Indies but still managed to play, scoring 16 off 15 with the bat and picking up 3 wickets for 36 runs. With Stoinis unavailable, Aaron Hardie was initially called up as a replacement, but he suffered a calf injury during a Sheffield Shield match for West Australia.
In addition to Stoinis and Hardie’s injuries, Australian wicketkeeper-batsman Matthew Wade will miss the first T20I as he stays home for the birth of his family’s third child. However, Wade is expected to join the squad in Auckland for the second and third games of the series.
The series of injuries and replacements have caused a shuffle in the Australian squad ahead of the T20I series against New Zealand. With the inclusion of Spencer Johnson, the Australian team will look to adjust to the changes and put up a strong performance against their trans-Tasman rivals.
The Australian cricket team will need to quickly adjust to the changes as they face off against New Zealand in the upcoming T20I series. With several key players missing due to injury and personal reasons, the team will have to rely on their depth to put up a competitive showing against their opponents.
