He departs as Australia’s leading men’s run-scorer in the format and led them to the 2021 T20 World Cup.
Australia will have a new captain when they return take the field later this year as Aaron Finch has announced his retirement from Twenty20 internationals, ending his career.
The choice to leave ODIs late last year and the length of time between Australia’s next T20 Internationals and their home World Cup, where they failed to go past the quarterfinals, had prompted the move.
After the competition, in which Finch missed the match against Afghanistan due to injury, he declared he would evaluate his options for the BBL. He had a productive competition with the Melbourne Renegades, scoring 428 runs at an average of 38.90, but he has made the decision not to play in South Africa in August when Australia’s next T20I series is scheduled.
Finch captained the team to their first T20 World Cup title when they defeated New Zealand in Dubai during 2021.
Finch stated, “Now is the perfect time to step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that tournament.” Finch acknowledged that he wouldn’t be participating again until the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“In order to play the game I adore at the highest level, I would want to thank my family, especially my wife Amy, my teammates, Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia, and the Australian Cricketers’ Association. I also want to express my sincere gratitude to all of my fans for their support during my worldwide career.
“You play the game for team success, and the first T20 World Cup victory in 2021 and winning the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be proof of that.
It has been an amazing honour to play with and against some of the greatest players of all time while representing Australia for 12 years.
With 3120 runs at 34.28 and a strike rate of 142.53 in the format, Finch leaves as Australia’s top male run scorer. The highest T20I innings of all time is his top score of 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018, which he also held with his 156 against England in 2013.
While Finch’s performance in T20I matches did not deteriorate as quickly as it did in ODI matches by the time of last year’s World Cup, there was a noticeable decline in his strike rate throughout the final two years of his career.
He stated that he would accept any additional domestic T20 opportunities that were presented and that he will continue to play for the Renegades.
Aaron will always hold a special position in Australian Cricket’s history as one of just four men’s players to lead his country to a World Cup success, according to Cricket Australia chair Dr. Lachlan Henderson. We applaud Aaron for his huge contribution and wish him all the best since playing at the highest level for more than ten years needs incredible commitment and perseverance.
With the men’s team’s next match taking place on a tour to South Africa in the latter part of August, there is no rush for Australia to name a new T20I captain. There isn’t a clear front-runner, and Pat Cummins is unlikely to be considered for all three positions. When Finch went down in the final World Cup match against Afghanistan, Matthew Wade took over as captain. However, if Australia chooses to look ahead, Matthew Wade’s career may also be over.
Two of the best white-ball bowlers in the world, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa, are intriguing choices, and Steven Smith, whose recent BBL performance demonstrated that he should still command a place in the team, might also be considered.
