‘Not good enough’: Aaron Finch in desperate need of runs ahead of T20 World Cup defence

Aaron Finch is Australia’s second-highest run-scorer in T20 cricket, but the skipper’s place in the national side is under question.

Aaron Finch is Australia’s second-highest run-scorer in the game’s shortest format. He’s a World Cup winning captain and boasts two of the three largest individual scores in the history of men’s T20 internationals.

But the Australian skipper is battling a form slump that has pundits questioning whether he’s at risk of losing his spot ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup defence on home soil.

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The 35-year-old was dismissed for 2 during Friday evening’s T20 international against Sri Lanka at the MCG, botching a pull shot against paceman Lahiru Kumara that was comfortably taken in the outfield.

Lass than 48 hours later, he fell for 8 after miscuing a lofted drive against Sri Lankan quick Dushmantha Chameera in Sunday afternoon’s match at the same venue.

Australia ultimately cruised to a 4-1 series victory, but Finch’s lack of runs is undeniably cause for concern.

Since April last year, he has averaged 20.00 in T20 internationals at a pitiful strike rate of 111.47 in the age of the shortest format. He has passed fifty just once in his previous 18 T20I innings.

Of Finch’s 17 most recent T20I knocks, 12 have come at a strike rate of less than 100 – particularly worrying numbers for a batter who features prominently in the Powerplay when fielding restrictions are in place.

Australia experimented with its batting order throughout the T20 series against Sri Lanka, shifting Finch down to No. 3 to make room for Ashton Agar at the top of the order.

The right-hander even conceded there was a temptation to bat himself as low at No. 5.

But when the T20 World Cup rolls around in October, if Finch is not considered one of the two best opening batters in the country, he should not be selected.

“Finch‘s numbers don’t demand him being in that (World Cup) team,” former Australian wicketkeeper Ian Healy told SEN 1116 on Monday morning.

“It’s not good enough.

“In the last three years, he’s been through at least two really low periods where he can’t get a run.

“So he’s much more conservative in his intentions now, and he’s not the all-out thrashing machine that Aaron Finch has always been.

“The team demands high strike rates and high energy, so he’s either got to find that and get it going, or there will be continued questions.”

I know everyone loves Aaron Finch, but …

— jonathan green 💉💉💉 (@GreenJ) February 20, 2022

Finch... oh dear. #AUSvSL

— Lui Zacher (@LuiFromTheRadio) February 20, 2022

Aaron Finch’s batting average in T20 internationals

2018 – 40.84 (SR 176.41)

2019 – 35.83 (SR 158.08)

2020 – 33.97 (SR 138.97)

2021 – 28.68 (SR 125.06)

2022 – 15.60 (SR 91.76)

Finch was clean-bowled by Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the series opener at the SCG, playing all around a full-pitched googly and making his way back to the pavilion for 8.

He never looked comfortable during his short stay at the crease, failing to find the boundary rope in 12 deliveries, particularly struggling against Sri Lanka’s spinners.

As revealed by Code Sports, he averages just 6.50 against wrong’uns from leg-spinners, a vulnerability that Hasaranga has exploited to devastating effect this summer.

It’s a weakness he was determined to resolve.

Finch was the only Australian batter that turned up for an optional training session at the SCG the following day. Sydney had been peppered with intermittent rain throughout the day, but that didn’t deter the Australian white-ball captain.

The Victorian rarely found the middle of his bat against the net bowler, who repeatedly lofted well-directed off-spinners at the right-hander from over the wicket.

Finch found himself awkwardly reaching at deliveries wide of off stump, attempting to slap them over the long-on boundary without success.

He became increasingly frustrated as the session progressed.

“How am I so f***ing useless?” Finch vented before waltzing down the other end of the practice wicket towards Michael Di Venuto. Interim head coach Andrew McDonald watched on from the adjacent net.

Following a brief interlude, Finch returned and smacked one of the first deliveries he faced through the covers, with a loud crack echoing around the grounds.

Promising signs.

He crunched a shorter delivery though mid-wicket soon after.

“Yeah one,” he yelped, calling an imaginary teammate through for a single. “Two a couple of years ago.”

Aaron Finch, captain of Australia. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Sadly, Finch’s woes against spin continued in the second T20 at the SCG, with umpires granting the Australian skipper two extra lives before his demise.

Facing young Sri Lankan off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana in the third over, Finch skipped down the pitch and looked to flick a full delivery through the leg-side, only to be struck on the pad.

The visitors called for a review, with Hawkeye suggesting the ball would have crashed into leg stump – but the Australian captain was saved by “Umpire’s Call”.

A couple of overs later, Finch was once again bailed out by DRS when an LBW shout against Wanindu Hasaranga was shown to have struck him just outside the line of off stump.

But Hasaranga got his man a few minutes later, with Finch charging down the crease at a googly that comfortably beat his inside edge – gloveman Dinesh Chandimal made no mistakes with the stumping.

Soon after, he discovered that none of the Indian Premier League franchises bothered putting in a bid for his services, while several of his teammates – including uncapped batter Tim David – earned seven-figure offers to feature in the marquee T20 tournament.

“My thoughts go back throughout the series, he’s hardly timed anything really nicely,” former Sri Lankan cricketer Russell Arnold told Fox Cricket.

“That’s a worry. Every innings he has been scratchy, even the few runs he made.

“I don’t think a team can only go in with a captain only, you need all 11 players contributing.

“Finchy does know that he needs to score runs, and I think it’s weighing him down as well. Towards the end of your career, you start thinking a lot about it (the end).

“It’s a position Australia do have to make I think because the currency is runs at the end of the day.”

Australia interim head coach Andrew McDonald speaks with Aaron Finch. Photo by Daniel Pockett – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Finch would be the first to concede he’s performed well below his best over the past 18 months. In October 2020, he was dropped from the Royal Challengers Bangalore starting XI in favour of countryman Josh Philippe following an underwhelming IPL campaign.

He couldn’t overturn his fortunes after returning home that summer, scoring 179 runs at 13.79 in the Big Bash League as his Melbourne Renegades placed last on the ladder.

After showing signs of improvement during a T20 tour of New Zealand in February 2021, Finch suffered a knee injury during a white-ball series against the West Indies, recovering just in time for the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates.

Finch led Australia to its maiden T20 World Cup title in November, where opening partner David Warner and No. 2 batter Mitchell Marsh stole the spotlight. Question marks had hovered around Warner’s place in Australia’s T20 side ahead of the competition, but the swashbuckling left-hander quickly silenced his doubters to become Player of the Tournament.

Finch will take inspiration from Warner’s resurgence.

“It feels like these questions have come before the last World Cup and after the first couple of games about David,” Australian wicketkeeper Matthew Wade told reporters on Sunday evening.

“Everyone had their say about Davey and he got player of the tournament in the World Cup.

“Finchy’s a class player and I’ve heard people questioning where he’s at. He averages (close to) 40 and strikes at 140 for a reason. He’s a class player and he’s the captain of our team.

“The questions are always going to come when you get a little bit older and you don‘t do well in one series. But they (Finch and Warner) are class players for a reason and the best we’ve had in T20 cricket ever.

“I don’t expect any change at the top of the order to be honest. Those two will be there in the World Cup, I’m confident in that and when the big game comes, they will nail it.”