Aaron Finch, Australia’s limited-overs captain, is open to red-ball and white-ball squads playing international series concurrently, like his English counterpart Eoin Morgan suggested .
International and domestic cricket remain suspended in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, with the Indian Premier League (IPL) too indefinitely postponed.
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Finch spoke to Sportstar about the forthcoming Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, the prospect of a behind-closed-doors IPL and more.
Firstly, I hope you are doing well with everything that’s going around. Australia is scheduled to host the men’s T20 World Cup a few months down the line. How significant will sports be in putting this crisis behind us?
Sports is something that has the ability to bring people from all different walks of life together. In regards to the World Cup, it will be enormous if it is played because it will be the first real piece of sport that will take place at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, we need to make sure it is safe to go ahead and hopefully if it does, crowds will be allowed to attend.
How are your teammates holding up? Have you been in touch with Australia coach Justin Langer and the others?
We have different WhatsApp groups where everyone is keeping in contact every day and the communication from JL and the other coaches has been awesome throughout this period.
How has your cricket training been affected?
I’m still training just as much as I normally would, but of course it is a different kind of training that I am doing at the moment. I am doing a lot more fitness and strength-based training.
Eoin Morgan has said he is open to England’s red ball and white ball squads playing international series concurrently if that’s what it takes to get the sport up and running. Would you say it’s a viable option?
It is definitely an option that can be looked at. The downside to that though is that multi-format players won’t be able to play in both. But that also has the ability to create opportunities for those that wouldn’t necessarily get that opportunity in the first place.
While the Aussies have been magnificent in T20s and Tests, the middle order – and the balance of the side – remains the major issue in One-Day Internationals?
Our middle order is also quite inexperienced compared to some others around the world. It’s important that we give these guys time to adapt and learn as a group, to get that really good understanding of how each plays and build those partnerships.
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At the end of the day, the top four is where the bulk of the runs need to be scored and help take some pressure off the middle order. I have huge confidence in the guys who are all working so hard to get better.
Lastly, has Royal Challengers Bangalore been in touch with you and would it be at all prudent to hold the T20 league this year?
We are getting constant feedback from the IPL franchises as to what is happening around the tournament. The IPL is such an important competition for a cricket-loving country like India, so it is important to do everything we can to play.
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