Aaron Finch Announces Retirement From ODI

 

Source- mykhel

Finch will play his final 50-over match in the series' final ODI against New Zealand, according to a statement from Cricket Australia. He will keep serving as Australia's T20I captain.

Finch wrote a heartfelt parting statement on Instagram, thanking everyone for the opportunity to play with and against some of the best players of all time. In addition to thanking the supporters for their words, he noted that as a child, representing Australia was his goal.

About Aaron Finch

The previous several years have seen Finch, a T20 specialist who has also played First-Class cricket for Victoria, Surrey, and even Yorkshire (under Jason Gillespie's reign), remain a crucial part of Australia's limited-overs team. Finch hasn't, however, ever been seen as a serious contender for red-ball cricket.

In a number of T20 leagues throughout the world, Finch is one of the most in-demand players. Finch, a previous captain of the Australian team in the shortest version of the game, holds the record for the greatest individual score in T20 Internationals with a score of 156 off just 63 balls against England in Southampton, which included an astounding 14 sixes and 11 boundaries.

He did it in 29 innings, making him the quickest Australian to surpass the 1,000-run threshold in T20 international matches.

Finch is a powerful batter, and his leadership of the Australian team in September 2014 was influenced by his time as captain of groups like the Melbourne Renegades, Pune Warriors India, and even Australia A.

Aaron’s Retirement

Finch stated, "It has been a terrific ride with some incredible memories," in a statement to the media from Cricket Australia.

He added, "I have been blessed by all those I have played with and the many individuals behind the scenes. I have been incredibly fortunate to be a member of some excellent one-day sides.

Finch remarked, "I thank all who have helped and supported my journey to this point. It's time to give a new leader the best chance to get ready for and win the following World Cup.

Finch will continue to lead Australia in this year's T20 tournament even if he won't be playing in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2024.

Despite his ODI career coming to an end, Finch will retire with an outstanding resume that includes more than 5400 runs and 17 hundred. At the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), he made his debut against Sri Lanka in 2013 and scored 148 runs, smashing his first hundred.

After the fallout from the ball-tampering scandal in 2018 that resulted in Steve Smith's suspension, he was chosen as the permanent white-ball captain.

According to Nick Hockley, CEO of Cricket Australia, "I would like to extend my congratulations to Aaron on his major contribution as the captain of the Australian Men's ODI squad and as a fantastic exponent of the 50-over game."

Aaron Finch also played for RCB

Finch made his IPL debut with the Rajasthan Royals in 2010, and since then, he has also played for the Delhi Capitals, Pune Warriors, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, Gujarat Lions, Punjab Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Finch received congratulations from Kohli, who played with him while they were both with Royal Challengers Bangalore, and said it was a pleasure to play both with and against him. The All-Star batter also advised Finch to relish his upcoming stage of life.

"Well done Finchy. It was great to play against you all these years and with you as well at RCB. Enjoy the next phase of your life to the fullest," commented Kohli.

The Bottom Line

Leadership is now again a hot topic after Finch announced his retirement from the 50-over game. Cricket Australia is currently looking for a new captain ahead of the 2019 ODI World Cup.

When they appointed Smith as the Test team's deputy skipper last summer, the administrators decided to return certain leadership duties to Smith. But it was immediately apparent that another long-term captaincy call was imminent.

Alex Carey, who served as Finch's replacement last year and previously held the vice-captaincy in the one-day team, would be another candidate after him. When Finch eventually departs from that format, Australia may ultimately require three different leaders, as evidenced by the fact that he is not a member of the T20 team.

Written by- Hanshu Varandani