Aaron Finch eyes 2023 World Cup if form and fitness permit
Finch, who played 119 ODIs and 58 T20s but just five Tests for Australia, has not lost hope of playing the traditional format again.
Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch has set his sights on continuing playing till the 2023 World Cup, saying he would look to realise that “goal” if form and fitness permit.
By the time the 2023 World Cup comes, Finch will be 37.
“I’d love to be, no doubt. At 33 now, I think my game is in as good a place as it’s ever been. That’s (playing 2023 World Cup) a definite goal of mine. That will come down to form and fitness; the desire won’t be any less than it is,” Finch was quoted as saying by ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.
“I know it’s a cliche, taking it one tour at a time, but that’s 100 percent a goal of mine down the track.”
Finch, who played 119 ODIs and 58 T20s but just five Tests for Australia, has not lost hope of playing the traditional format again.
“It might be more of a dream now than a reality,” Finch said.
“I still have ambitions of trying to work my way back in there (Tests), but the tough part is trying to get enough four-day cricket to push your case. I missed one game with the Vics (Victoria) through injury, one game was called off, missed one with the T20 series.
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“Some of the young kids coming through, they’re so bloody good. I’d love to play. I suppose the next tour of Bangladesh, that’s probably, who knows, that would be up in the air. It’s still my No. 1 goal to try and get back into the Test side,” he added.
Finch admitted that he might retire from Test cricket to prolong his limited-overs career, provided the selectors give him a signal that he is not in the five-day scheme of things.
“If it got to the point where I had some good chats with the selectors and they couldn’t see me playing Test cricket again, that’s something you have to consider,” he said.
“Number one is to give yourself the best chance to be playing a format that you’re playing, one-dayers and T20s.
“A little bit of that is respect to the younger players coming through. I don’t want to be that guy who is holding up young guys if I’m not going to play Test cricket,” Finch added.