Aaron Finch, Australian Twenty20 and former ODI captain, retires from international cricket
Aaron Finch has retired from international cricket. The opener and long-term white-ball captain had already retired from ODIs last year but led Australia in its failed T20 World Cup defence late in 2022.
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Aaron Finch has retired from international cricket.
Cricket Australia has called a press conference for Finch on Tuesday morning at the MCG where it’s understood he will confirm that he has played his last international match.
The opener and long-term white-ball captain had already retired from one-day internationals last year but led Australia in its failed Twenty20 World Cup defence late in 2022.
However, with the Aussies not scheduled to play another T20 until September, Finch, 36, has called it a day, leaving CA searching for a new men’s T20 skipper ahead of next year’s World Cup.
“Realising that I won’t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event,” Finch said.
“Team success is what you play the game for and the maiden T20 World Cup win in 2021 and lifting the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be the two memories I cherish the most.
“To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honour.”
Finch is among Australia’s most decorated white-ball batters, between his individual record and role in the two World Cup wins.
Having performed solidly during the Big Bash League, Finch is expected to remain on the T20 circuit.
Finch debuted for Australia at age 24, in a T20 match against England in Adelaide during January 2011, making 15 not out batting at No.5. He played 103 T20 internationals for 3,120 runs at 34.28, with two centuries and 19 half-centuries. His highest score of 172, against Zimbabwe in 2018, is a T20 international world record.
Finch’s first ODI for Australia was against Sri Lanka during January 2013, making 16 atop the order at the MCG. He went on to make 5,406 runs in 50-over internationals, averaging 38.89 across 146 matches, with a best of 153 not out among 17 centuries. Only Ricky Ponting, David Warner and Mark Waugh have made more tons in the format for Australia.
Finch captained Australia in 76 T20 internationals, also a world record, and 55 ODIs. He took over the T20 captaincy from George Bailey in 2014, before being replaced by Steve Smith, but assumed the captaincy in both white-ball formats in 2018 after the Cape Town ball-tampering scandal.
His Test debut came at age 31, against Pakistan in Dubai during 2018, and he made five appearances for two half-centuries (best of 62, in his first Test innings). Overall, he made 4,915 first class runs at 35.87 across 88 matches, with a best of 288 not out (for a CA XI against New Zealand in 2015) among seven red-ball centuries.
Originally published as Aaron Finch, Australian Twenty20 and former ODI captain, retires from international cricket
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