Aussie rookies can stake claims
FINCH: ABSENCE OF FRONTLINE PLAYERS OPENS THE DOOR
Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch said yesterday that the absence of several frontline players was an opportunity for others to stake their T20 World Cup claims with a strong performance on the West Indies tour.
Pace spearhead Pat Cummins, opener David Warner and all-rounder Glenn Maxwell are among those who have skipped the tour, while batting mainstay Steve Smith is out with an elbow injury.
Uncapped fast bowler Wes Agar, the younger brother of established spinner Ashton Agar, has been included in the 18-man squad along with Ben McDermott, Dan Christian and Ashton Turner.
“It’s a great opportunity to almost take their spots,” said Finch, whose team will play five Twenty20 and three one-day internationals against West Indies next month.
“You have to go on current form. You pick guys who are playing well...conditions are going to be very similar to what we face at the T20 World Cup (in India).”
Australia are also scheduled to play five Twenty20 matches in Bangladesh in August, subject to biosecurity arrangements and government approvals.
The Caribbean series will be Finch’s first since he had eye surgery after experiencing blurred vision during last year’s Indian Premier League (IPL) in the United Arab Emirates.
“(It) wasn’t very sharp, and there were little halos around lights and a bit of a trail on the ball,” the opener said of the problem.
“I’m seeing them (the balls) pretty good (now). I’ve only being hitting them indoors on hard wickets.
“I think the biggest test will come in night matches, that’s when I noticed the biggest difference in my eyesight.
“It’s all clear now, it seems really good.”
Finch will likely only get to see his wife again on 25 August and they are expecting their first child on 8 September.
“They’re the risks you take. She wasn’t too keen on me going and if she happens to give birth a bit early, we might be in some trouble ...it might be a Face Time birth, I don’t know,” said the opener. –