Starc vows to back stand-in skipper in place of injured Finch
BARBADOS: Australian pacer Mitchell Starc has said that if regular skipper Aaron Finch is unavailable for the three-match ODI series in Barbados starting July 21, the team will support the stand-in skipper.
Finch aggravated his right-knee problem while fielding in the final T20I against West Indies on July 16. Now with him in doubt for the ODI leg of the series, questions are being asked as to who will be the captain in Finch’s absence.
The options for captaincy include Alex Carey, who served as the vice-captain in Australia’s last ODI series against India in 2020, and Mathew Wade, who captained Australia in the Sydney T20I against India in December 2020.
The other options include Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques and Mitchell Marsh.
“It makes for an interesting question. We’ve got Alex there, Josh Hazlewood was vice captain for a period of time there, Mathew Wade has captained before, Moises has captained plenty of games in the past, so you’ve got plenty of guys with leadership experience.
“Wade said it the other day, it makes it easier captaining in international cricket when guys know their roles. If Finch was to miss, I’m sure whoever takes on the role will do a good job and we’ll get behind them,” Starc was quoted as saying.
Starc said that the senior pros in the side are guiding the lesser experienced bowlers in the team. Pacers Wes Agar, Riley Meredith and leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson are yet to play an ODI.
“It naturally comes about chating around training and off the field. It’s the nature of these hubs -- you can’t really leave the hotel so you spend a bit more time together as a group. Whether it be chating ater play or chating through days around the hotel.
“We’ve got guys who have got a litle bit of experience in international cricket now. For Josh, Zamps and I are potentially playing a bit more white-ball cricket than the rest.you keep yourself accessible to them and check how they’re going around training. Those ongoing discussions happen quite naturally anyway around a cricket tour,” said Starc.
Meanwhile, Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams has said that he doesn’t regret missing out on his side’s white-ball tour to the West Indies, as he was finding life inside the bio-bubble tough to handle.
Australia are currently in the Caribbean playing five T20IS and three ODIS.
Sams withdrew from the tour of the Caribbean ater spending time in bio-bubbles for Australia, New South Wales, Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League (BBL) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Having tested positive for COVID-19 in isolation before the IPL began in April, Sams had to spend more days in quarantine till he tested negative. But ater the IPL was suspended in May, Sams along with other Australians was forced to stay in Maldives as there was a flight ban from India. Ater 14 days in Maldives, he spent another two weeks in quarantine in Australia before reuniting with his wife, Danii.
“I don’t have any regrets. Obviously, I’ve had thoughts of, ‘I wish I was there’ but in the end I made the decision that’s best for me long-term. My relationship with Danii is the most important thing and one of the biggest reasons of me pulling out was so I can connect back in with Danii because we haven’t been apart for that long ever,” said Sams to cricket.com.au on Thursday.