Marcus Stoinis news divides cricket fans amid BBL dramas for Melbourne Stars

Melbourne Stars fans have been left divided after the huge announcement Marcus Stoinis has re-signed on a three-year contract. The Stars have endured a poor run in recent BBL seasons having not made the finals in four years.

This year, the Stars finished sixth on the table having just won four of 10 games this season in another let down for the fans. To make matters worse, the Stars lost the last three games of the season when two wins would have seen them take part in the finals.

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Fans have been left disgruntled and captain Glenn Maxwell could feel the pain as he announced he would step down from his role as leader after disappointing results. And in a big off-season move, the Stars have moved to secure the signing of Stoinis on a three-year contract extension.

The 34-year-old has played 98 games for the stars and will become just the second Stars player to pass 100 appearances for the franchise. He is the second all-time leading run scorer in the BBL and will have a chance to add to his tally in the coming seasons.

Melbourne Stars General Manager Blair Crouch was thrilled to have locked down the allrounder for another three years. "Marcus is obviously one of the most experienced and well performed T20 players in Australia over the last decade and for him to commit for another three seasons is a great demonstration of the faith he has in where we are headed," Crouch said in a statement.

"He is one of the most in-demand T20 players in the world and as we saw on New Year's Eve again this year, when he was at his destructive best, he is one of very few players who can win a match off his own bat. As well as what Marcus brings on the field, he, along with the other senior players will play a huge role over the next few years in developing the next generation at the Stars."

Marcus Stoinis resigning divides Stars fans

While Stoinis' form was solid in this year's BBL season, fans have been left disgruntled at the team's performances and have questioned the signing of the 34-year-old on a three year deal. Many feel an overhaul is due at the Stars who have underperformed for years, especially with international stars in the team such as Maxwell, Stoinis and Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Glenn Maxwell steps down as Stars captain

Maxwell reportedly told his teammates of the decision to step down from the role after the Stars' final game of the season against the Hurricanes. The allrounder and World Cup winner took over the captaincy role after John Hastings left the franchise in late 2018. Hastings took over the role from Dave Hussey.

The 35-year-old took the Stars to two finals appearances in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, but lost both to the Renegades and Sixers respectively. Maxwell is still under contract with the Melbourne Stars for another two years, but will shift his focus to his batting and bowling.

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