T20 Cricket World Cup: Aaron Finch shows class and leadership to give Australia chance at title defence

Aaron Finch has never lost his class or composure despite his scratchy form and Australia’s T20 World Cup defence could be the big beneficiary.

Captaining an international cricket team is never easy. You get rid of the form slump and then your hamstring pings.

It’s been one thing after another for Aaron Finch, but this much is clear: His leadership of Australia will be dignified to the end.

It’s all good and well in sport to smile when you’re swimming with the tide but it’s when the turbulence hits that is the mark of the man.

Finch now faces an anxious wait to learn whether fitness will allow him to play another game for Australia but he deserves credit for wading through the immense pressure that has engulfed him over the past two months.

“A little hammy twinge I think. I’ll get a scan tomorrow. Unfortunately I’ve had a history of them,” Finch said after accepting the man-of-the-match award.

“We’ll see how it goes. It doesn’t feel too bad at the moment but generally overnight they can stiffen up but we’ll get a scan and get the full results.”

Aaron Finch’s leadership of Australia will be dignified to the end. Picture: AFP

Although it’s been a bumpy ride, he and Australia might just get there in the end after he toughed it out in more ways than one in Brisbane.

His form has been scratchy for a long time now, but throughout, Finch has never lost his class or composure.

Finch’s 63 off 44 against Ireland at the Gabba was a fine captain’s knock that set the platform for Australia to still nab a World Cup semi-final berth, but in a stunning twist, there could now be doubt over whether he ever plays again after suffering a hamstring strain.

There was an illustration of Finch’s importance as captain in the way Australia’s bowlers missed a chance to ruthlessly bowl Ireland out quickly and go ahead of England on net run rate, taking the foot off the throat after Finch was eventually forced off the field midway through the innings.

Former England Test skipper Nasser Hussain worried there were too many cooks having their say when Matthew Wade took the reins against Ireland.

Finch started the bowling innings out in the field, but after struggling to chase after one, the skipper limped up the race for the start of what will need to be some intensive treatment with the semi-finals — if Australia makes it that far — nine days away.

This World Cup is almost certainly the end of Finch’s excellent international career and if he doesn’t make it back onto the park for the finals it would be a sad and cruel way for it all to end – particularly after his typical backs-to-the-wall showing in Brisbane.

Aaron Finch has never lost his class or composure despite a patchy run of form.

However, even in a worst case scenario where Monday night was to be his final stand, the performance was a fitting testament to his toughness – a trait he’s displayed over and over through his career.

Finch can hold his head high as a great player, a great leader and a great character of Australian cricket.

If Finch does manage to recover and force his way back, as Australia will hope, he can now clear his mind and enjoy what’s left.

The 36-year-old’s important innings against Ireland doesn’t mean he’s turned it all around, but he’s ensured he’s no longer dragging a ball and chain behind him.

There’s no doubt Finch has been fading as a batsman, but Monday night proved that like all good players, he can still manage the big innings his team needs sometimes.

Glenn Maxwell, David Warner and Aaron Finch embrace for their national anthem before the T20 World Cup match between Australia and Ireland at the Gabba. Picture: Getty Images

Finch almost batted through the innings for a second consecutive game, but unlike his tortured performance in Perth, this time recaptured some of the timing that has seen him surpass Chris Gayle with 125 sixes, as the third most prolific maximum hitter of all time.

However, selectors may now be forced to make changes with Finch and Tim David carrying hamstring problems in a bitter-sweet night against Ireland.

Steve Smith and Cameron Green suddenly roar into the frame for a call-up and some critics will argue – that despite the obvious disruption this would cause – Australia may actually achieve greater team balance if that’s the case.

It’s too early to make a call on Finch and David yet and although both may struggle to get up for Friday’s final pool game against Afghanistan, they will be given every opportunity to prove their fitness.

There is still hope Finch might get a shot at an unlikely fairytale, but even if he doesn’t, the skipper has given Australia a chance to go back-to-back and defend its Twenty20 World Cup title.