The 2022 T20 World Cup campaign looms as the conclusion to Aaron Finch’s international career. With Australia’s next T20 assignment nine months away and his ODI retirement leaving a vacancy there, here are a few who could take Finch’s place.
Aaron Finch’s decorated international career seems to be at its conclusion after Australia bowed out of the T20 World Cup in the Super 12s stage.
It’s perhaps an unfortunate end to such a prolific career, with concerns and discussion surrounding the Aussie captain’s form and ability plaguing much of his 2022.
Finch’s ODI retirement, and presumably imminent T20I retirement, both open up a big vacancy in Australian white-ball cricket, with a need now to fill an opening batter role that’s been a selection lock for so long.
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The likes of Alex Carey, Cameron Green and even Marnus Labuschagne – all of whom featured in Finch’s final ODI – could find their way to the top of the order to partner David Warner, or form a new partnership
But with such a long-time servant to Aussie white-ball cricket farewelling his international playing days, could Australia look further to the future at the next crop of up-and-coming white-ball stars?
Travis Head (SA)
Head appears to be Finch’s immediate replacement at the top of the order, having been named as an inclusion in the first ODI squad of the post-Finch era.
At 28, Head likely has a substantial amount of cricket ahead of him, and already has a wealth of international experience behind him, having featured in 48 ODIs for Australia.
Head has previously partnered David Warner at the top of the order in ODI cricket, and has scores of 101, 89 (both of which came opening the batting), and 70* to his name in ODIs in 2022.
Head’s 50-over form in the past couple of years has also been incredible, notching up his second List A double-ton – an astonishing 230 from 127 balls – against Queensland last year.
The South Australian will almost certainly take Finch’s place in Australia’s ODI side, and could not only be a long-term replacement, but a potential future ODI captain.
Daniel Hughes (NSW)
Hughes might be 33, but he could hardly be riper for the picking based on his current form.
Hughes has dominated the 2022-23 Marsh Cup season to date, already with two centuries to his name from just three games.
That’s not all – he boasts the third-best average of all time in Australian domestic white-ball cricket with his career mean of 57.9, behind only Michael Bevan and Steve Smith in the field.
At 33, the left-hander won’t be a long-term selection for the Aussies, but his form and proficiency in 50-over cricket could be a huge benefit to Australia should he receive a national call-up.
Josh Philippe (WA)
Philippe leads the Marsh Cup run-scoring charts to date this season, with 291 at an average of 97 from his four knocks.
He’s featured 13 times for Australia at international level – in 3 ODIs and 10 T20s – but hasn’t made a large impact as yet, though his form for WA and the Sydney Sixers in the BBL is certainly an authentic snapshot of his capabilities.
The 25-year-old could be a perfect long-term white-ball opener for Australia, having displayed his talent as an opening batter so early into his career.
He averages 28.67 in T20 cricket at a strike rate of 136.88, with 15 fifties to his name, while he’s scored 2 tons and 7 fifties from his 31 List A games to date, with an average of 37.46 in the format.
Philippe also has the ability to keep wicket, which could certainly make him an attractive prospect for Australia’s selectors, as his batting alone has earned the right hander his previous international caps.
Embed from Getty ImagesMatt Renshaw (QLD)
Another young face who’s familiar to the international circuit, Renshaw has developed his white-ball game substantially since he last played test cricket in 2018.
Despite his approach to red-ball cricket being slower and more measured, Renshaw has displayed that he has the capacity to be a damaging force with the bat, particularly in his recent BBL seasons.
Renshaw has scored 4 centuries and 13 half-centuries in his 54-match 50-over career, averaging 39.06 in the process.
He was named player of the Marsh Cup last season, topping the run-scoring charts with 377 runs from six games, and has already hit a hundred in the current season.
He’s partnered David Warner in test cricket before – if Australia is looking for continuity and someone to slot seamlessly back into its ODI outfit, the 26-year-old could be the man.
Ben McDermott (TAS)
McDermott has shone already in his five ODI matches for Australia, notching a maiden international century and averaging 65 as he featured in Australia’s three-match ODI series in Pakistan earlier this year.
McDermott has been a force for the Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL for years on end now, with three tons and 17 fifties to his name in T20s.
He averages a remarkable 48.10 in List A cricket as well, with 5 hundreds and 10 fifties from his 35-match career.
Another who can wicket-keep if needed, and still only 27, McDermott’s consistency and fearsome hitting could see him rise into international one-day and T20 calculations.
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