IPL 2021: Australian players' availability could be decided on a 'case-by-case' basis: Aaron Finch
Amid uncertainty over the participation of Australian players in the second half of IPL 2021, limited-overs skipper Aaron Finch has said the authorities could take decisions on a 'case-by-case' basis.
It was earlier reported that Kolkata Knight Riders' pace spearhead Pat Cummins might be unavailable for the season, possibly to spend time with his young family after months in bio-bubbles.
With the tournament's September-October window sandwiched between Australia's tour of the West Indies and the T20 World Cup, it won't be a surprise if other Aussies also follow suit. Aaron Finch said he hasn't contemplated the issue but believes Cricket Australia will look at each player's case individually.
"I have honestly not thought about it. I would imagine it would be conducted on a case-by-case basis by Cricket Australia,” Finch told Sportstar.
Aaron Finch also didn't rule out the possibility of Australia emulating England's controversial rotation policy to manage the player workload in the tightly-packed schedule.
"I don’t think the players themselves like resting from international cricket. But definitely, with the increased squad sizes due to COVID-19 bubbles, there are a lot of players on tours. So we will need to look at options to ensure these players are playing games,” added Finch.
Australia's trip to the Caribbean will include 5 T20Is and 3 ODIs between July 10-25. The T20 World Cup will be played in October-November, followed by Australia's defense of the Ashes at home from December 8.
County cricket vital for Marnus Labuschagne's Ashes preparation: Aaron Finch
Marnus Labuschagne was conspicuous by his absence from Australia's extended squad for the West Indies tour. The top-order batsman is currently plying his trade for Glamorgan in the County Championship in England.
Aaron Finch asserted that although Labuschagne is a 'wonderful' white-ball player, the player's preparation for the Ashes is more important.
“Marnus is a wonderful player and has continued to show what he is capable of in T20 cricket. There is also an Ashes series coming up this summer and Marnus is playing four-day cricket in England. This is vital for his Test preparations for the summer," concluded Finch.
Run-scoring-wise, Marnus Labuschagne's outing in the championship has been far from fruitful so far. In 7 innings, he has collected just 88 runs at an average of 14.66, with a best score of 44.