Australian great Healy questions skipper Finch's place in T20 team

Melbourne, Feb 21 (IANS) Australian great Ian Healy has questioned white-ball skipper Aaron Finch's place in the side following the 35-year-old cricketer's barren run in the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, which concluded on Sunday.

Finch could manage just 78 runs from five innings during Australia's 4-1 T20I series win against the Islanders, with the experienced right-hander struggling to find the middle of the bat. He managed just eight runs in the final game as Australia lost by five wickets at the MCG.

The former wicketkeeper-batter was scathing in his criticism of Finch, saying on SENQ's Pat and Heals on Monday that, "Finchy's numbers do not demand him being in that team. It's not good enough."

Following Finches below-par performance of late, questions are being asked whether he should continue to lead the side in the 2022 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup at home, which is less than eight months away.

Healy said Finch's lows should be taken into consideration when selecting the 2022 T20 World Cup squad. "The last three years he's been through at least two really low periods where he can't get a run," said Healy.

Healy felt that Finch had lost his pinch-hitting prowess.

"He's much more conservative in his intentions now, and he's not the all-out thrashing machine that Aaron Finch has always been."

The Aussie cricket legend also questioned top-order batter Steve Smith's place in the T20 side.

"I think Steve Smith has work to do to justify his position in the T20 team too. We've got to get fair dinkum about our T20 team." He opined that players such as Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade should not be left out just to accommodate Smith in the T20 side.