Cricket 2022: Australia captain Aaron Finch could retire with a T20 World Cup finale at MCG

When is the perfect time to retire? For Australian skipper Aaron Finch that moment just might be at his beloved MCG with a second T20 World Cup trophy on the line.

The curtain on Aaron Finch’s brilliant international career could fall at the MCG this year if Australia defends its Twenty20 World Cup crown.

Asked about his T20 future, Finch was unsure whether he would continue playing the shortest format for Australia after the upcoming World Cup.

“Good question, good question,” Finch said.

“I don’t think there’s many for T20s games in that next 12 months anyway. It obviously shifts to a 50-over World Cup focus.”

Speaking at a function in Melbourne to mark 100 days before Australia hosts the T20 World Cup for the first time, Finch then suggested that defending the title could trigger his retirement.

“It might be a full stop on everything if everything goes to plan like that. Fairytales can happen in sport,” he said.

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Shane Watson, Georgia Wareham, Aaron Finch, Tayla Vlaeminck, Waqar Younis and Morne Morkel at the T20 World Cup Trophy tour launch at Crown Riverwalk.

Finch turns 36 four days after the MCG final (November 13). If he plays on that would be to try and deliver Australia its sixth ODI World Cup in India next year.

Finch and wife Amy had their first child last year as part of a magical few months that included Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup victory.

He is currently enjoying a break before white-ball matches against India, Zimbabwe, West Indies and England in the lead-up to the home T20 World Cup.

“It’s just chaos after the next six weeks,” Finch said.

Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade will retire after the T20 World Cup although Finch said David Warner’s supreme fitness levels meant he could play for many more years.

Warner will turn 36 during the tournament.

Finch wasn’t surprised by Josh Hazlewood roaring to the top of the ICC’s T20 bowler rankings since his breakout IPL for Chennai Super Kings last year.

Aaron Finch plays a shot during the fourth T20 international between Australia and Sri Lanka at the MCG in February.

Finch said Hazlewood — who was left out of the 2019 ODI World Cup squad — was effective in all conditions and always had white-ball skill, but had simply focused on Test cricket.

The emergence of Test No.5 Cameron Green in limited overs cricket could also transform Australia’s XI.

“If Cam’s bowling keeps coming along the way it looks like it is you can potentially go with eight batters and be ultra-aggressive,” Finch said.

Shane Watson, the T20 World Cup trophy ambassador, said Green’s Test knock of 77 in Sri Lanka last week as he adapted his game plan was “something very special”.

“He has all the tools to be an incredible T20 player as a top-order batting all-rounder,” Watson said.

Finch counts down the 100 days to go for the T20 World Cup at the trophy tour launch.

Finch recently tightened up his technique in the nets, which had loosened due to facing left-armers who swing the ball back.

His shoulders, hips and feet have become squarer with less movement at the crease.

“The more you open up the less you know where your front foot is going,” he said.

Finch said spinners on Australia’s big grounds would play a key role in the T20 tournament where it is harder to “chunk it over the boundary”.

“All the stats suggest if teams are two down going into the back five overs it doesn’t matter whose bowling — you could have the best of all time — and still cop some pain.

“Most teams prefer to chase now.”