I hope it's a preview for the final: Aaron Finch on T20I series versus England
Australian white-ball skipper Aaron Finch is hopeful that the T20I series against England is a dress rehearsal for the final of the 2021 T20 World Cup which will be held in India. Australia are number one in the ICC T20 rankings while England are just below them in second place. Finch believes that the rivalry between the two teams is always huge, and that is what makes this series an exciting one.
"I hope it’s a preview for the final. The England-Australia rivalry is always huge, regardless of who you are playing in front of and where you are playing. You could play in a street and it would still be there," Aaron Finch told Associated Press, Southampton.
Everyone is absolutely pumped to play international cricket again: Aaron Finch
Australia last played an international game against New Zealand back in March, and the rest of the ODI series was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After a long break, they had been able to play a few intra-squad games in England. Skipper Aaron Finch stated that they were now match-ready and eager to get on to the field.
“The way the players have hit the ground running has been really exciting. I know not just me but everyone is just absolutely pumped to be playing international cricket again,” Aaron Finch said.
Marnus Labuschagne proved to be a find for Australia in last year's Ashes. He came on as a concussion substitute for Steve Smith and grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The right-handed batsman lit up the following Australian summer with stellar performances against New Zealand and Pakistan, earning ODI debut against India.
Although Labuschagne was impressive in Tests and ODIs, skipper Aaron Finch stated that he would not like to tinker with the combination that got Australia to the top of the rankings in T20Is. This means that the South African-born cricketer might have to wait for his maiden T20I call-up.
“We are pretty settled on the way that we structure up our T20 side at the moment. He (Labuschagne) played nicely the other day but I think he might have to wait a little bit longer in T20 cricket,” Aaron Finch signed off.
The three-match T20I series between England and Australia will begin from September 4 and will be followed by a three-match ODI series which is set to start from September 11.