Aaron Finch, Australia’s limited-overs captain has undergone knee surgery with the recovery expected to take eight to 10 weeks as he aims to be fit for the T20 World Cup.
Aaron Finch missed the recent Bangladesh tour having suffered cartilage damage ahead of the series in West Indies. He managed to play the five T20Is in the Caribbean but aggravated the injury in the final game.
Aaron Finch Missed Bangladesh Tour Where Australia Was Beaten 4-1 And Was Bowled Out For Their Lowest T20I Total Of 62
Having completed his mandatory two-week quarantine upon returning to Melbourne, Aaron Finch had the operation on Thursday with a Cricket Australia statement saying it was successful.
“His recovery is expected to take 8-10 weeks meaning he should be available for the opening games of the World Cup in mid-October,” the statement added.
The longer end of that timescale will push things tight for Aaron Finch with Australia’s involvement in the tournament due to begin in the final week of October. It is expected that tentative plans for warm-up matches against Afghanistan and West Indies will be cancelled due to logistical challenges with some players returning from the IPL which will be also be staged in the UAE ahead of the World Cup.
Bangladesh won the first T20I match by 23 runs, recording their first-ever win in the format against Australia in five attempts. Bangladesh then won the second T20I by five wickets, and the third T20I by ten runs.
Therefore, Bangladesh won the series with two matches to spare and recorded their first-ever series win in any format against Australia. Australia won the fourth T20I by three wickets, to avoid a whitewash. However, they lost the final match by 60 runs, with Bangladesh winning the series 4–1.
The likes of Nasum Ahmed (8 wickets), Mustafizur Rahman, Shoriful Islam, and Shakib Al Hasan (7 wickets each) were successful with the ball for Bangladesh.
Aaron Finch Was One Of The 8 Players Australia Missed In Bangladesh
Aaron Finch was one of eight potential first-choice players Australia was missing in Bangladesh where they were beaten 4-1 (the same margin they suffered in West Indies) including being bowled out for their lowest T20I total of 62 in the last match. If fit, Aaron Finch will be expected to open alongside David Warner at the World Cup.
The country’s seven top cricketers including the likes of David Warner, Pat Cummins, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, and Daniel Sams have pulled out from the upcoming West Indies and Bangladesh series. Star batsman Steve Smith was also not included in the squad as he is yet to fully recover from an elbow injury that flared up during the IPL.
In Aaron Finch’s absence, Matthew Wade captained the side in Bangladesh where, like many of the batters, he had a lean time. Pat Cummins, the official Australia vice-captain, will be part of the World Cup squad. Australia has lost their last five T20I series, against England, India, New Zealand, West Indies, and Bangladesh, having previously climbed to No. 1 in the rankings.
Their planning has been disrupted by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on player availability but the results have also raised questions about the depth available especially in batting. Australia has never won the T20 World Cup with their best performance being a runners-up finish in 2010 when they lost the final against England in Barbados.