FINCH’S FRESH FOCUS

BBL SEMI-FINAL

MELBOURNE Renegades captain Aaron Finch says he has come through the most difficult six months of his career as he prepares to lead his side into a BBL semi-final tonight.

The Geelong batsman has struggled for form over a jampacked summer that has included five Tests, six ODIs and eight international T20s between the United Arab Emirates and Australia, as well as Big Bash cricket.

But the national short-form

Tonight, Marvel Stadium, 7.40pm

captain said he wouldn’t have made many changes to his approach; rather, he’s gained an appreciation for players who have performed across all three forms of the game.

“Probably the last six months have been the most difficult of my career in terms of chopping and changing formats,” Finch said on SEN.

“Making my Test debut and playing a bit more Test cricket was probably a bit of a mental challenge more than anything.

“To play in Dubai and come straight back into an ODI and T20 series and Test matches and things like that, it’s probably been the longest sustained period that I’ve played cricket for Australia.

“In terms of that, it was quite mentally challenging and something that I probably didn’t give the guys who played all three formats of the game enough credit in the past.”

Finch said negative press about his form had added to the pressure, but opening the batting in red-ball cricket wasn’t an excuse for his 97 runs at 16.17 in three Tests in Australia.

“I think going and playing my two debut Tests in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on wickets that were probably similar to one-day wickets where the ball traditionally doesn’t swing a hell of a lot … on the back of that, it was a natural thing I stayed at the top of the order.

“I did feel as though I was ready for that challenge and I was up for that challenge.

“If I had my time again, I would have just done things slightly different batting at the top of the order as opposed to sliding down.”

Finch said he believed a time would come when players asked selectors not to pick them for short-form cricket so they could put more into playing Test cricket for Australia.

“I think that the way that the game’s going, people are more understanding of that,” he said. “I think going back a few years there would be a lot of people who would look sideways at that and say, ‘You’re giving up your spot in the Australian side’, but I think it’s going to be crucial down the track.”

The Renegades face the Sydney Sixers tonight for a place in the BBL grand final on Sunday, while Australia begins its ODI tour of India on March 2.