Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Finch making a ton of difference
Not only is new Australian captain hitting centuries, but he’s a great leader and inspiration to his team-mates
SOME are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.
Such is the eternal universality of Shakespeare’s insights that Malvolio’s musings in Twelfth Night could easily apply to the Australian captaincy instead.
If that was the case, then Aaron Finch would certainly fall into the third of those categories.
Incidentally, Malvolio’s preceding line is “be not afraid of greatness” and that neatly epitomises Finch’s attitude after having the role thrust upon him last November following Steve Smith’s year-long ban and the struggles of his immediate successor Tim Paine.
The 32-year-old went from simply focusing on making runs and solidifying his own place in the side to being responsible for the fortunes of the entire team, in addition to incurring all the extra off-field duties that come with being skipper.
Coincidentally or otherwise, his batting initially suffered – an average of 11.86 during his first seven ODIs in the role led to uncomfortable questions about his selection – but since then he’s been totemic atop the order.
Amassing 1,104 runs in 16 ODIs, with four centuries and an average of 73.60, Finch is hitting white-hot form at just the right time.
And he only seems to be getting hotter as this ICC Cricket World Cup progresses, plundering 496 runs so far – a total only surpassed by his opening partner David Warner – with a pair of centuries.
The latest of those was a beautifully-crafted 100 from 116 balls, full of his trademark leg-side and straight hitting, against his country’s oldest rivals England, at Lord’s.
He has directed Australia to six wins from seven games at the tournament and the 64-run victory in London saw them become the first team to book their spot in the semi-finals – with two matches to spare. Not bad for someone who had the captaincy thrust upon them.
And what about his leadership style?
“When I first started in leadership roles I was quite young – in all the junior representative teams and things like that,” Finch explained.
“From doing it about eight years ago, with the Melbourne Renegades, to now, I’ve changed a lot.
“Just in the way that I used to talk a lot and some feedback from the boys was: ‘Don’t talk so much.’ I took that on board.
“I don’t tend to talk as much in team meetings – I try and let everyone else have their say and just contribute where I need to.”
Finch’s reasoning is sound: after all, when his on-field performances are speaking such volumes – what more is there to say?
Australia’s success at this World Cup is largely down to the displays of the incredibly talented individuals they possess but there’s also a togetherness in the squad seeing them through.
And that is in no small part thanks to the atmosphere in the dressing room, for which Finch sets the tone.
“It’s a bit more than wins and losses in a leadership role,” he added. “It’s about making sure that you’re creating a great environment for everyone to succeed in.
“It can be a daunting place when you come from domestic cricket to the international scene, especially if it’s an international tour.
“So to have guys come in and be really comfortable around the team straight away is a big positive for myself, the coaching staff and all the other senior players that contribute to that.”
To get a feel for the esteem in which Finch is currently held by his buoyant team and for the esprit de
corps that he’s helped engender among them, you only have to listen to the effusive tribute of their bright young wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey.
“I think his performances leading from the front have been amazing and then with his decisions out in the field, he’s got a group of guys who really trust him. We love working under Finchy,” enthused Carey.
“Performance is pretty good leadership – and, firstly, he’s performing from the front and it’s great to see him have some real success. He’s worked really hard on his game and now he’s delivering on the biggest stage.”
Legends, such as Steve Waugh who led Australia to World Cup glory here at Lord’s 20 years ago, have been equally impressed.
“Coming against a quality attack on the biggest stage in world cricket, Finch’s century was his best in the green and gold,” Waugh said after the victory over the old-enemy.
“He is at the top of his game right now; mentally tough, technically sound, focused and trusting in his judgement of line and length. He is leading the charge and allowing others the freedom to relax and play their own way. Together with (David) Warner, they continue to ensure Australia is ultra-competitive in every match by either posting an imposing total or chasing down any target.”
There may indeed be more to the leadership role than just wins and losses but the consistent victories certainly don’t hurt.
If the Australians continue in this vein they could well on July 14 be lifting the World Cup for a record-extending sixth time – an accomplishment Finch would add to a captaincy CV that already includes the Big Bash League title he led the Melbourne Renegades to earlier this year.
With his batting alone, the Victoria native would be a key cog as he looks to extend a streak of nine 50s in his last 12 ODIs but as skipper, his role becomes even more pivotal.
Luckily, Finch may have had the Australian captaincy thrust upon him but he’s well on his way to achieving greatness.