FINCH SAYS HE IS LIKELY TO BE FIT FOR AUSTRALIA’S CRUNCH MATCH

SYDNEY: Australia captain Aaron Finch says he is more likely than not to play in Friday’s crunch Twenty20 World Cup Super 12 match against Afghanistan, despite suffering a hamstring strain on Tuesday.

The hosts and defending champions need to win the Group 1 clash at Adelaide Oval to stay in the tournament and Finch said he would not risk playing if he had any doubts about his fitness.

“Very hopeful to (play), yeah,” Finch told reporters before training on Thursday. “(It’s) maybe 70-30, but I’ll test it out properly this afternoon to make sure that I’m not hindering the side at all ... because I think the worst possible scenario is that you leave the guys short out there with one player fewer.”

Tim David also sustained a hamstring issue in the win over Ireland on Tuesday and Finch said the middle order batter was in the same position as himself. “He’s in exactly the same boat,” Finch added.

With one more Super 12 match to play, Australia are tied on five points with New Zealand and England at the top of Group 1 but have a far inferior net run rate. England take on Sri Lanka on Saturday, while New Zealand face Ireland in Friday’s opening game in Adelaide.