Australia’s regular white-ball captain Aaron Finch has been ruled out of the forthcoming T20I series in Bangladesh with an aggravated knee injury. The development on Finch was confirmed on Sunday (July 25)
Finch will not be part of the Australian contingent that will fly across to Bangladesh from the Caribbean on Wednesday (July 28) as the extent of his injury has been ascertained and the cricketer needs surgery for the same.
Not wanting to take any chance with the injury of their leader and the opening batsman, the Australian management has given Finch enough time to undergo the necessary medical action, rehabilitate and be in prime fitness for their campaign at the T20 World Cup later in the year.
Finch said on Sunday (July 25) in a Cricket Australia (CA) media release:
I’m extremely disappointed to be heading home. This was considered the best course of action rather than travelling to Bangladesh, not being able to play and losing that recovery time. I will have the surgery if required and start the recovery process ahead of the World Cup.
Finch had been managing this knee problem for a while before he aggravated it playing the fifth and final T20I in St Lucia on July 16. He was subsequently ruled out of the ODI series that is currently undergoing in the Caribbean and is now also out of the five-match T20I series versus Bangladesh.
The selectors and the CA medical staff, however, are quite “optimistic” of having Finch fully recovered in time for the T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman.
In Finch’s absence, Australia are led by wicketkeeper-batsman Alex Carey for their three ICC Super League fixtures against the Calypso Kings. But Carey won’t carry forward as leader for the T20Is versus Bangladesh, with the selection committee set to appoint a new captain for the assignment.
Australia’s T20I series against Bangladesh begins on August 3 in Dhaka.
