Aaron Finch puts hand up to lead Australia into 2019 World Cup
Monday 16 April 2018 08:29, UK
Aaron Finch has put himself in the frame to become Australia’s next one-day captain.
Australia are currently without an ODI captain following the ball-tampering scandal which saw Steve Smith banned for 12 months along with vice-captain David Warner.
Tim Paine has replaced Smith as Test captain, but no decision on who will replace him as skipper of the ODI side is expected until Australia name their squad for the limited-overs tour of England next month.
Finch, who is currently playing in the IPL for Kings XI Punjab, is open to the challenge.
"I'd definitely put my hand up for it but I haven't thought about it to be honest," Finch told cricket.com.au.
"It's obviously a really difficult time and some changes are going to be made in the next couple of months with the England ODIs and the Dubai Tests (against Pakistan later this year).
"If the opportunity came up I'd love to take it but it's not something that I've thought about."
Whoever is selected is likely to be charged with leading defending champions Australia into the 2019 World Cup, which will be held in England and Wales between May and July of next year.
That is because, though Smith and Warner will be eligible to return by then, the former is banned from holding a leadership role with Australia until March 2020, while the latter can never hold one again.
But first Australia face a five-ODI series against an England side who defeated them 4-1 on home soil, and Finch concedes turning that result around will be a big ask without Smith and Warner.
"You are taking two of the best players in the world out of the side … the only way you can deal with it is to put a real positive spin on it," he said.
"It's obviously really unfortunate what's happened, but there's going to be a couple of spots open up and I've got no doubt the guys who are next in line can come in and do a fantastic job.
"It will give whoever is there a real opportunity to put their hand up and make sure they're at the forefront of selectors' minds when it is time for that World Cup.
"England are a fantastic one-day side, they proved that in Australia, they've had some great results over the last few years in one-day and T20 formats.
"It will just give guys a real opportunity to measure their games against arguably the best, along with India, sides in the world.
"I don't think that should be a daunting prospect, it should be something that's really embraced."
