Aaron Finch looms as the key figure in Cup campaign after tumultuous 12 months as captain

Three years after being axed as a World Cup leader, Aaron Finch has the chance to put his stamp on his team on the biggest stage — in the culmination of a tumultuous three-year evolution.

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Aaron Finch won’t have to look far for leadership lessons should the return of Steve Smith and David Warner turn sour.

Australia’s World Cup assistant coach Ricky Ponting — due to arrive in London today — faced headlines surrounding two of his best players in 2003.

In Ponting’s first World Cup as captain he lost Shane Warne to a drugs ban and Jason Gillespie to an Achilles injury.

“The whole issue around Warnie was how was I going to address that with the group?” Ponting said.

Australia 2003 World Cup campaign was rocked by the loss of Shane Warne before a ball was bowled. Picture: Phil Hillyard

“How am I going to put my stamp on making sure the group aren’t confused, disappointed, shocked when we had our first game pretty much the next day.

“I got Warnie in front of the boys (and) made him explain what happened, I got Warnie out of the room and I sat down with the boys and had a chat about the way it was going to be, what I expected from them and basically told them I didn’t want to hear another word about it for the rest of the tournament.

“To their credit that’s exactly the way it was.”

It was two out for Ponting and it is two in for Finch.

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Things worked out for Australia and Ricky Ponting in 2003... Picture: AP

Now Finch has the chance to put his stamp on his team, three years after Australia stumped him as a World Cup leader.

Finch was set to captain his country at the 2016 Twenty20 World Cup in India when, after 17 months in the job, he was dumped for Smith.

Finch feared his chance was gone. But he will lead Australia’s ODI World Cup defence in England with Smith and Warner suddenly playing under him.

“He’s a really strong character,” vice-captain Alex Carey noted.

“Aaron went through a pretty tough (form) period not too long ago. The character he’s shown to come through that … the playing group takes a lot of confidence out of a leader like that.”

Finch was rocked by the decision to be stripped of the T20 captaincy — but has bounced back. Picture: Getty

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The Colac warrior’s evolution as a leader has been the story lost in Australian cricket’s most turbulent 12 months.

Those close to Finch marvel at how he took that 2016 knock, when he was moved on without ever mucking up, and came again.

Tactically he has grown. While Finch used to captain with a streak of unpredictability, that has largely — but not entirely — been replaced by planning and preparation.

His investment in data has risen and Finch always seems focused on others.

Teammates and best mates: Finch knows how important it will be to get the most out of Glenn Maxwell. Picture: AAP

He knows the secret to extracting the best out of best mate Glenn Maxwell, and that secret is tough love.

“We can be brutally honest with each other and not affect the way we go about it on the field,” Maxwell said.

“We can spray each other so ruthlessly that it might have other people go, ‘What’s going on here?’

“But we’re able to just take it and move on and react like nothing has changed.”

“It’s funny how we’ve both gone through these different troughs in form. We’ve both been out of the side and to get to 2019 where we’re still both pushing each other and striving to improve, I’m grateful to have him and as a friend.”

Glenn Maxwell (L) celebrates a wicket with Aaron Finch. Picture: Getty

Finch, 32, and Maxwell, 30, met 10 years ago when the latter came into the Victorian system.

They became mates through a mutual love for golf and accelerated that friendship as housemates, when the “cricket nuffies” would absorb games from all over the world.

Finch captained Melbourne Renegades to the BBL title this year — against Maxwell’s Stars — amid glowing praise from teammates for his overflowing positivity.

“He reads the game really well and doesn’t get flustered, which is what you want in a captain,” Gades hero Dan Christian said.

Finch (R) with team coach Justin Langer. Picture: AFP

Coach Justin Langer recently reminded Finch that runs were the best leadership currency and that challenge lies ahead under overcast conditions.

But leading Warner should be no problem, given Finch frequently references his good mate Davey, while it is hard to see Smith sparking any spot fires in the dressing room.

In fact, those in the know reckon Finch is a fine little leader, and the rest of the world might be about to learn the same.

AUSTRALIA’S ODI WORLD CUP CAPTAINS

2019 Aaron Finch

2015 Michael Clarke (champions)

2011 Ricky Ponting

2007 Ricky Ponting (champions)

2003 Ricky Ponting (champions)

1999 Steve Waugh (champions)

1996 Mark Taylor (runners-up)

1992 Allan Border

1987 Allan Border (champions)

1983 Kim Hughes

1979 Kim Hughes

1975 Ian Chappell (runners-up)