Finch declares his resignation from ODIs but stays as captain for T20Is
On Sunday against New Zealand, the Australian skipper will play his farewell match.
After Sunday’s series finale against New Zealand in Cairns, Aron Finch has stated he will stop playing one-day internationals. He will continue to lead the T20 team as they defend their World Cup victory the following month.
Finch remarked, “It has been a terrific voyage with some incredible memories.” As well as being blessed by all the guys I have played with and the many people behind the scenes, I have been tremendously lucky to be a part of some fantastic one-day sides.
“Now is the time to provide a new captain with the best chance to be ready for and win the upcoming World Cup. I want to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported and assisted me along the way.”
Finch has had a terrible run of form in 50-over cricket this year, scoring just 169 runs at 13 and going wicketless in five of his past twelve innings, including two days ago in Cairns.
He had planned to play his final international match at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, but after Australia won the T20 World Cup for the first time last year, he will now try to defend the title on home soil.
Before Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign gets underway against New Zealand at the SCG on October 22, Finch has eight T20 Internationals (plus an additional warm-up match against India) to attempt and find some form.
Finch, who played for Australia in the 2015 World Cup, will retire with an impressive record that includes more than 5400 runs and 17 hundred, currently the third-most for Australia’s men behind Ricky Ponting (29), David Warner (18), and Mark Waugh (18). This is despite the lean end to his ODI career.
His career-best of 153 not out came against Pakistan in Sharjah in March 2019 after he had recovered from a poor run of form that had raised concerns over him ahead of that year’s ODI World Cup. He made his debut against Sri Lanka at the MCG in 2013 and scored his first century against Scotland later that year when he struck 148. He scored four ODI hundreds in 2019 while amassing 1141 runs.
His performance against Pakistan (49.16, two hundred), England (average 48.35, seven hundred), and India was very noteworthy (48.66, four hundred).
Finch was appointed T20I captain for the first time in 2014, however, on the eve of the 2016 World Cup, Steven Smith was given the position because the role had been combined across the three formats and he would not be participating in the event.
Finch declares his resignation from ODIs but stays as captain for T20Is
He led Australia to the 2019 World Cup semi-finals in England before they were soundly defeated by the hosts. He was named the permanent white-ball captain following the fallout from the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that resulted in Smith’s suspension.
Aaron has made a significant contribution as the captain of the Australian Men’s ODI squad and as a fantastic 50-over player, and I would want to thank him on behalf of Australian Cricket, said Nick Hockley, the head of Cricket Australia.
“Aaron is a fiercely competitive athlete with exceptional talent, and his inspiring leadership style matches his brilliant on-field exploits. It is indicative of his altruistic attitude to the game for him to step down from the ODI captaincy at this time.
Aaron’s leadership, experience, and tactical acumen will be crucial to Australia’s defense of its T20 World Cup title at home during the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
Following the T20 World Cup, whoever succeeds Finch as the ODI skipper will begin with a series against England that does not count toward the Super League. Alex Carey, who filled in for Finch last year, will probably be the front-runner for the position. However, if Australia wants to have the same captain across formats, it will also depend on whether Finch continues to play T20s after the World Cup. Carey is currently not a member of the T20 team.
While Mitchell Marsh might be taken into consideration, Smith’s comeback might still be an option. Josh Hazlewood, who previously served as vice-captain and is currently regarded as one of the best white-ball bowlers in the world, may be considered an outsider. There will probably also be mention of Glenn Maxwell.
Pat Cummins, the test captain, has already said that assuming another leadership position would likely be too taxing. He will occasionally be rested from playing limited-overs cricket, which is another consideration.
From raising the bat to raising the cards, we’re joined by @cricketaustralia legend @aaronfinch5 as our studio Guest Quizmaster #HYBPA pic.twitter.com/7QMOYF7LkQ
— Tom Gleisner (@TomGleisner) August 15, 2022
