Highlights:
- Aaron Finch, former Australia T20I captain, has announced his retirement from international cricket.
- Finch was a hard-hitting opening batsman and smart tactician and retires as one of Australia’s best limited-overs performers.
- With the World Cup in 2024 approaching, he feels the time is right for a new captain to take over and move the team in their direction.
After leading Australia to their first ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory, Aaron Finch announced his retirement from international cricket. After Australia’s World Cup title defence ended before the semi-finals, Finch, a former one-day captain, departed from the 50-over game in September and used the home summer to make a decision about his T20 future.
The 36-year-old, who was Australia’s first T20 world champion in the United Arab Emirates in 2021, is a hard-hitting opening batsman and smart tactician who retires as one of his nation’s best limited-overs performers.
? JUST IN: Australia's T20I captain has announced his retirement from international cricket.
— ICC (@ICC) February 6, 2023
Details ?https://t.co/gfsgnSLosW
Finch, who celebrated his first World Cup victory in the 50-over competition in 2015, said it was time for a successor to make a mark at his hometown Melbourne Cricket Ground.
With the World Cup in 2024 approaching, he told reporters, “Today, fully, I think the time is right to let the T20 team move on into a new phase, particularly with a World Cup coming up in 2024.”
“I think that the time is right to allow them enough time and space to allow a new captain to take over and move the team in their direction.
“It’s been a pretty amazing ride.”
Finch had a strong Big Bash League season, hitting 428 runs at an average of 38.9 to help the Melbourne Renegades win their first T20 finals series in three years, despite a declining run output that preceded his ODI retirement.
Read | 10 Best NFL Players of All-Time You Should Know
The stocky Victorian was eager to spend time with his wife Amy and 1-year-old daughter Esther, but it wasn’t enough to convince him to stay.
“When you’re on the road for best part of 12 years you go through some highs and you go through some lows, and to always have my family there to support me has been amazing,” he added.
“And that’s always been unwavering, so I’m very thankful for that.”