Australia’s World Cup planning is being hindered by the wretched form of captain Aaron Finch, who has floundered in white ball cricket since making his Test debut in October.
Finch yesterday lasted just three balls before edging behind for a duck in the first ODI in India.
Since earning a baggy green in the UAE, the 32-year-old incredibly has averaged just 9.8 with the bat from 16 innings in white ball cricket for Australia. In that same period he also struggled badly in Tests, averaging 16 across six innings in the home series against India.
If you put that all together it means that, in his last 22 innings for Australia across all formats, Finch has averaged just 11. That is not just a form blip. That is a deep form trough stretching back almost five months.
If Finch was not the captain he may well already have been axed from the ODI side. The fact he is the skipper is what is putting Australian in such a difficult place. Australia faced a similar situation in the lead up to the last World Cup when stand-in skipper George Bailey was starved of runs.
Bailey had averaged just 23 with the bat in his previous 23 ODIs prior to the World Cup and was dumped for that tournament in favour of full-time captain Michael Clarke, who had been out for a long time with injury.
There are two key differences between that situation and the one which currently challenges Australia. The first is that back in 2015 Australia had an obvious and attractive replacement for Bailey in Clarke, a skilled tactician with a sensational ODI batting record.
Whereas Australia right now are bereft of captaincy options. Their two long-term leaders in Steve Smith and David Warner are banned from holding such positions when they return from their suspensions, which end this month.
(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
Australia only have a handful of other players who seem fairly assured of being in their best XI in the World Cup – quicks Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood, all-rounders Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis and veteran batsman Shaun Marsh. Of that group only Maxwell has significant recent experience as a captain and, given the way he has been treated by the Australian team hierarchy, it is very hard to see Maxwell captaining at the World Cup.
What is undeniable, though, is that Australia are not in a position to carry an underperforming captain through the World Cup. Were they still an elite ODI side, then perhaps a case could be made that they can afford to back in an out-of-form skipper. But Australia are so far off the pace of World Cup favourites England and India that the only way they can bridge that distance is by taking a few risks.
Punting your stumbling skipper amounts to such a risk. Finch should be given until the end of this series to prove that he has turned around his form. If he cannot do so then Australia must seriously consider dropping Finch for their last series before the World Cup against Pakistan in the UAE starting later this month.
Josh H
Roar Rookie
Agreed, it's a real shame the selectors have seemingly forgotten that picking experienced heads is actually quite a good idea. After the successes of Hayden, Hussey, Rogers, Voges and Paine you'd almost not even blame the selectors for not promoting youth given how well older selections have worked recently
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Cheese and chalk between this article and that written by David Lord on the same subject.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
I def agree the balance is not right atm. Batting second as suggested below would be a good test of the balance Returning Smith and Warner would also help but I think the selectors could and should do more in the interim
PeteB
Guest
The selection policy is insane. 16 innings at 9.8 over 5 months is way too many chances. Odds are unlikely that he will find any form soon. Get rid of him now. Doesn’t matter who he is replaced with, no alternative can be any worse. Repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result rarely ever works. Try something different now. There is a World Cup at stake.
AREH
Roar Guru
Great post. His form in limited overs cricket has not wavered despite an underwhelming Shield season to date. With all factors you mention, it's remarkable his name hasn't been thrown up at all. You would have to take out another middle order accumulator though, so that would present a challenge. His poor treatment continues, and I'd be pleasantly staggered if he played an International match again.
Paul
Roar Guru
Completely agree Harvey, which was the point I tried to make in my second sentence. He has to score several ODI scores, at least 50 at better than a run a ball, to be any chance to make the WC squad.
Harvey Wilson
Roar Rookie
If he gets a big score and then goes back into his trough, what then? Odds are anyone will have a good innings given the chances, Finch has had more than enough. Look how long the team put up with Mitchell Marsh, sooner or later you have to pull the pin.
Paul
Roar Guru
Wade against Bumrah - I just can't see it.
Waxhead
Roar Rookie
Ronan said "in his last 22 innings for Australia across all formats, Finch has averaged just 11. That is not just a form blip. That is a deep form trough stretching back almost five months." Well nothing more needs saying imo. Finch must be replaced asap. The excuse that there's no other obvious captain does not wash imo. Hanscombe, Cummins, Carey could all be given this challenge and probably do an equal or better job than Finch.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
Yeah. There is no way Smarsh doesnt feature in the world cup side given his last few ODI innings. And whike he may have belted out some rubs at 100+ SR, he isnt the man to take the game away. Also, relying in maxwell to always bash a ridiculous score is an absurd strategy. Its way too much pressure and only building in mlre chances to post sub-optimal totals. The telling thing with indias odi victories over aus recently is that mostly they have done it without stressing too much. Aus was kind of competitive, but did anyone really think india woukdnt get there? No. Then you see england and windies blasting massive scores... it doesnt leave a lot of hope. Aus needs to update its ODI style and i think adding Short and Lynn in could inject some very needed power.
bowledover
Roar Rookie
Same might be said for Khawaja.
Rob
Guest
I can't wait till they drop Finch and appoint Carey as captain. What a day that will be!
Paul
Roar Guru
Rob, in Shaun Marsh's last 9 ODI innings, he's scored 4 x hundreds and a fifty, with two of those hundreds made in England. If he's not injured, he's a certainty to play in the World Cup and would be my pick for captain if Finch doesn't find form
Paul
Roar Guru
Completely right Ronan. Finch is too good a player not to be given this series to find form but that has to start in the next game or two. We can't have him making once decent score, he has to do that 2 or 3 times to get a run in the UAE, where he needs to make more runs. The important issue with Finch, isn't just making runs, it's making ODI runs, ie a big score at better than a run a ball. If he does a Khawaja and scores 3 fifties off 70 balls in the next few games, I's probably drop him because that pace of scoring won't win us too many games in the World Cup
Robert Gillard....(Rob G.)
Guest
Ronan's column stacks up...almost,, two areas concern me. (1) Correct to note Aust cannot take a sadly way out of form Capt to ODI World Cup, Finch in my book must be removed and now. Remembering the words of Langer that "the currency is runs etc etc", Langer above all else must be consistent in this vitally important area of team selection, get the hard calls if they indeed hard calls out of the way now and settle this squad without delay. (2) I note Ronan automatically includes Shaun Marsh, hmmm, I'd really question that, he is no automatic selection of mine and I'd hasten to add I'm not too sure of others views given that Warner & Smith are probably going to play. As for who is Capt, I don't see why either Starc or Hazelwood could not fill that role admirably, both are part of Test team leadership group, both conduct themselves well and both know and read the game well. Maxwell will not be Capt given his recent treatment by hierarchy in recent times and obviously does not have the endorsement of Langer for such a role.
Gee
Roar Rookie
Head and Mitch Marsh might of got dropped because they decided to change up the team because of it poor record, but it really didn't change much.
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Yeah for the sake of his Test career I think missing out on the white ball sides could benefit Head.
Rob
Guest
I get the criticism of Finch because his form with the bat has been horrendous. His confidence is so far gone there is no chance of him coming good against India on this tour. I can’t understand sending Short home and dropping Richardson? Both those boys are great talents and just contributed to a 2-0 series win over the hosts. Rubber ball Shaun Marsh has come back into the picture with Khawaja and the underwhelming Carey but for the life of me I can’t believe how short the selectors memories are. Replace Finch with Shaun or Khawaja but it appears we want to go back to losing with meandering bats and star picket fieldsmen.
Nudge
Roar Rookie
Pretty decent stats Ronan. I think that one day South African series cost him his spot. He actually looked out of his depth that series against good quality swing bowling with the new ball. I reckon they probably didn’t even consider him for this Indian series as they were keen for him to play the second half of the shield. Be nice to see him starting turning some of these starts into 100’s. 50,50 and 29 so far in the shield. Bloody frustrating
Ronan O'Connell
Expert
Head can probably feel a bit unlucky not to have had a crack at the ODI opener's role in the last few months given his good record opening for Australia - 493 runs at 41 (strike rate 96).