Aaron Finch retires from all forms of international cricket
One of the most experienced players on the Australian side, Aaron Finch announced his retirement from T20 Internationals on February 7, Tuesday, putting an end to his 12-year-long international career. Finch announced his ODI retirement last year in September 2022 but continued leading his side in the shortest format.
Finch retires from Twenty20 cricket following 103 appearances for Australia, where he captained the team in 76 of those games. With 3120 runs scored at an average of 34.28 and a strike rate of 142.5, he retires as Australia’s top run scorer in the format. The highest individual score in the format is his career-best 172 against Zimbabwe in 2018. He previously held the mark with his 156 against England in 2013. He participated in five Test games for Australia as well.
Finch’s decision to retire from the 50-over format last year had raised question marks over his T20I career, with many believing that the veteran cricketer will hang up his boots after the T20 World Cup on home soil in 2022. However, he delayed his decision until the conclusion of Australia’s premier domestic competition, the Big Bash League, where he represented the Melbourne Renegades.
“Realising that I won’t be playing until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment to step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event. I’d like to thank my family, especially my wife Amy, my teammates, Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia, and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for their support to allow me to play the game I love at the highest level.”
“I also want to say a huge thank you to all the fans who have supported me throughout my international career. Team success is what you play the game for and the maiden T20 World Cup win in 2021 and lifting the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be the two memories I cherish the most. To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honor,” Finch said in an official statement.
While Finch calls it a day after an illustrious T20I career, the Australian team are left with the headache of appointing a new leader for the shortest format of the game. Pat Cummins is the front-runner for the role, but the mercurial pacer is unlikely to lead the team in all three formats of the game.
