I like to move it: Recalled Stoinis to embrace risk

Marcus Stoinis had to move across a continent to get his big break in cricket. The allrounder now hopes some subtler moves can be his ticket back into the Australian team.

Recalled to Australia's limited-overs squad after a year-long absence, Stoinis wants to recapture the fearless approach of his early days in international cricket and from last summer's extraordinary 705-run Big Bash campaign in his comeback tour in England.

Key to that, says the muscular right-hander, is a preparedness to be less rigid at the batting crease.

"I was more willing to move around the crease a little bit (during the BBL) and create a few options and change the dynamic of the game," Stoinis told reporters from Southampton on Saturday. "I'm quite a structured player (so) that's a small thing I've changed.

"Batting in the middle you have to be a bit more creative when there's five (fielders) on the boundary… You can't always just use your power.

"It might be early in the innings or might be more to get off strike. If I get an idea by reading the bowler of what they are trying to bowl, being able to manipulate the field and pick spots where I want to hit boundaries (will be beneficial).

"It's something I did a bit earlier in my career when playing for Australia.

"Being younger you are a bit more carefree and looking to take risks. I went away from that a bit so it's probably something I can bring back into my game."

Stoinis, who had to leave his native Western Australia for Victoria as a 21-year-old in 2011 to make his breakthrough in domestic (and, eventually, international) cricket, made a strong first impression back in the Australian squad in their intra-squad game at the Ageas Bowl on Friday.

Opening the batting, he hit four boundaries on the way to an unbeaten 21 off 17 balls before rain put paid to his chance to make a bigger statement.

While Aaron Finch and David Warner would appear locks to open for Australia's limited-overs teams, more strong performances in the warm-ups could have him in the mix for a top-order spot.

Having largely put his bowling on the backburner during the BBL last season due to injury niggles, the fit-again Stoinis’ skills as a death-bowling specialist are an added string to his bow in his fight for a spot.

Stoinis faced major struggles with the bat in the middle order during last year's ODI World Cup, with Ricky Ponting identifying the early stages of his innings as a key area for improvement.

"If there's been a knock on his batting, it's been that he's been a bit of a shaky nervous starter and takes a lot of balls to get moving," Ponting told cricket.com.au last year.

Stoinis has made no secret of how much he values Ponting's input, declaring, "If I could have one person in the world … coaching me in my batting, it would have been Ricky Ponting."

The pair, having worked closely during the World Cup when Ponting was Australia's assistant coach, will renew acquaintances after the England tour during the ensuing Indian Premier League. The Ponting-coached Delhi Capitals bought him for just short of $1m AUD.

Stoinis told cricket.com.au earlier this month he has drawn inspiration from Matthew Wade's resurgence back into international cricket. Wade has also trumpeted the benefits of throwing caution to the wind.

And the 30-year-old Stoinis is eager to show he can replicate his bold method in any batting position.

"I've spent most of my life batting towards the top of the order but then also in the last five years I've spent most of my time batting in the middle," said Stoinis, who thrived as an opener for the Melbourne Stars last season.

"It (batting in the middle order) is probably something I'm learning my craft at still. Things like moving around my crease – that's not typically something an opening batsman does.

"There's a few things I've looked at and hopefully that helps."

2020 Tour of England

Australia's T20 and ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa

England squad: TBC

September 4: 1st T20, Southampton, 3am AEST Sept 5

September 6: 2nd T20, Southampton, 11.15pm AEST

September 8: 3rd T20, Southampton, 3am AEST Sept 9

September 11: 1st ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 13: 2nd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST

September 16: 3rd ODI, Old Trafford, 10pm AEST