Last Updated on 5 years ago by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: Aaron Finch and Steve Smith on track for T20 World Cup | Star batsmen Finch and Smith expected to be fit for T20 World Cup
Australia’s star batsmen Aaron Finch and Steve Smith are on track to be fit for the T20 World Cup. Both are feeling quite positive in their recovery from respective injuries, with focus on trying to deliver Australia’s first T20 World Cup title in a couple of months’ time.
Smith, who is recovering from an elbow injury, said last month he would prioritise the Ashes if forced to make a choice. However, he is tracking well according to skipper Aaron Finch due to the fact he isn’t overworking his elbow in batting practice. Also, Smith is reportedly set to make a return via next month’s IPL.
Finch is undergoing rehab after recent knee surgery. The Australian captain felt niggling pain in pre-season camp in Brisbane, before getting worse during the tour of West Indies. He had surgery almost immediately after completing two-week quarantine in Melbourne, which gives him the opportunity to be fit right before the showpiece tournament.
Despite the 10-week recovery timeframe and his wife due to give birth to their first child just before the World Cup, Finch is optimistic that his experience will serve him well in the UAE.
Aaron Finch and Steve Smith on track to feature in T20 World Cup
Australia are set to name their squad for the tournament in the coming days. Finch is confident of being available and making an impact.
“I’m confident of that (being fit for the World Cup),” said the Australian captain.
“It will be come down to pretty minimal match practice which I think being older and being around for quite a while plays into my hands a bit, having (previously recovered from) some injuries where you don’t have a lot of lead time into a series.
“I think that will help me. The surgery went as well as it could have and I’m walking around with no pain, which is the most important thing at this stage.”
The skipper also touched on Steve Smith’s fitness. Just as he was optimistic about his situation, he was also optimistic about Smith’s recovery from the elbow problem.
“It seems to be going really well. I know that he’s been building up his batting time over the last couple of weeks – I know that would have been difficult to have a time limit on his net times,” Finch said on Wednesday in his interview with cricket.com.au.
“He’s going really well”, Finch continued. “The last time I spoke to him he wasn’t having any pain batting so that was a real positive. He’s going to be such an important part of our campaign.”
Australia have lost 5 straight T20I series
Australia will certainly be hoping Finch and Smith are available to shore up the batting. The Aussies lost 8-2 across recent tours of West Indies and Bangladesh, which included their lowest-ever T20I score of 62 in the fifth and final T20I against the Tigers.
Australia have lost their last five T20I series, with significant concerns about the batting depth. The addition of Finch and Smith gives Australia a much better chance of competing for the T20 World Cup trophy.
