Auckland: Australian all-rounder James Faulkner has been ruled out of the One Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand after injuring hamstring in the Chappell-Hadlee opener, which the visitors lost by 159 runs.
The stylish Marcus Stoinis – who is known for his good looks, spending enough time in front of the mirror, as told by Pat Cummins during the Allan Border Medal event – is all set to replace Faulkner.
Marcus Stoinis at the Allan Border Medal event recently. (Photo: Screengrab)
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Stoinis, a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium pace bowler, made his ODI and T20 debut against England in 2015. Unfortunately, Australia lost both the matches.
The news is a setback for the Aussies as the World Cup winner (Faulkner) was one of the players, apart from Matthew Wade, to reach 30 amidst the dismal batting show.
The 25-year-old, who recently hit headlines for on-field banter with star India batsman Virat Kohli, will return to Australia for rehabilitation.
Faulkner also picked up two wickets at Eden Park on Wednesday. However, he is the fifth Aussie to be out injured in the season following Aaron Finch, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins.
