- Australia T20I captain Aaron Finch has announced his retirement from international cricket
- He struggled for form in internationals last year, managing just an average of 28.44 in T20s and 12.42 in ODIs
Australia T20I captain Aaron Finch has announced his retirement from international cricket. Finch enjoyed a stunning international career that included leading Australia to their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy.
The opening batter had retired from one-day internationals in September. However, he is set to continue playing in domestic T20 competitions, which include the Big Bash League (BBL).
Aaron Finch. Photo/ Mid-Day.
Aaron Finch said in a statement that now is the right time to step down and give the team time to prepare for the next T20 World Cup.
“Realizing that I won’t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment to step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event. I’d like to thank my family, especially my wife Amy, my team-mates, Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for their support to allow me to play the game I love at the highest level.” Sky Sports quotes Aaron Finch.
Aaron Finch is Australia’s highest runscorer in men’s T20s with 3,120. The Australia international has the highest individual score in men’s T20 internationals – 172 off 76 balls, which he managed against Zimbabwe back in 2018.
The only players who have hit more than Finch’s 125 sixes in T20 internationals are India’s Rohit Sharma (182) and New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (173).
While announcing his retirement from international cricket, Aaron Finch also said that it was an incredible honour to have represented Australia for 12 years. He added that lifting the ODI World Cup in Australia in 2015 and the maiden T20 World Cup in 2021 are his best moments.
Cricket Australia chair Dr Lachlan Henderson congratulated Finch for his exceptional international career. He described Finch as one of Australia’s finest white-ball players.
“On behalf of Cricket Australia, I’d like to congratulate Aaron on an exceptional international career, where he finishes as one of our finest white-ball players. As one of only four men’s players to captain Australia to a World Cup victory, Aaron will always have a special place in Australian cricket’s history.” Dr Lachlan Henderson said, as per Sky Sports.
Aaron Finch retirement. Photo/ The Sports Mania.
Aaron Finch made his international debut in a T20 match against England in 2011. He played his first ODI two years later in a match against Sri Lanka.
Finch was initially made Australia’s T20 captain in 2014. However, he was stripped of the captaincy in 2016 when Steve Smith became Australia’s overall captain.
Finch became Australia’s captain once again in 2018 following the ball-tampering scandal during a Test series against South Africa. He played all five of his Tests that same year.
The opening batter captained Australia in 76 T20s and 55 ODIs. He struggled for form in internationals last year, managing just an average of 28.44 in T20s and 12.42 in ODIs. Nevertheless, he has been one of the most prominent T20 cricketers in the world.
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