Australia opener Aaron Finch feels long-time opening partner David Warner is ready to step up and take on the captaincy of the Australian team.
Australia opener Aaron Finch feels long-time opening partner David Warner is ready to step up and take on the captaincy of the Australian team.
Former Test skippers Ricky Ponting and Ian Chappell have both expressed their concerns about Smith’s workload as captain in all three formats and Finch says Warner is ready to stand in for the current skipper should he be needed.
“Absolutely. I think a part of that is having confidence in your own game but also having the confidence of your teammates in your own game as well, that you’re almost the number one picked player,” he was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.
“And (Warner is) certainly that, along with Steve. They’ve been exceptional for a long time now and as captain and vice-captain they’ve done a fantastic job. I think if something did happen and (Warner) had to take over, he’d do an amazing job as well.” Finch, whose Gujarat Lions were on the receiving end of Warner’s 58-ball innings of 93 n.o. in last Friday’s qualifier in Delhi, says the left-hander’s attacking instincts make him perfectly suited to captaincy in 20-over cricket. “To lead the Sunrisers to the title I think shows how much he loved the responsibility of captaining,” Finch said. “He led from the front with the bat, in the field he led from the front and I think as a captain he was someone who captained the way that he plays. He always took the aggressive option, he never backed down.”
