Australia’s limited-over captain Aaron Finch has announced to retire from ODI cricket, ending his stint as the skipper in the format as well. He will play his last One-Day International versus New Zealand on Sunday and will continue to serve as the T20I skipper.
Bidding farewell to the 50-over format, Finch has left some potential names behind to replace him as the skipper. He feels the sandpaper gate scandal of 2018 has been put to rest since Steve Smith, after the incident, once captained the Test team in the absence of current Tes captain Pat Cummins.
Notably, Smith, captain back then, was one of the three involved in the case alongside vice-captain David Warner and Cameron Bancroft. While Smith suffered a two-year ban from leading, a lifetime ban was imposed on David from taking hold of any leadership post.
While Smith’s ban stint to take charge of a leadership role has already ended, Warner is yet pleading with Cricket Australia (CA) to reconsider his lifetime captaincy ban allowing him to be in the leading roles once again. Both were handed over a 12-month ban from playing any form of cricket.
Finch, considering the fact Smith was considered to lead in Cummin’s absence recently, narrates that the Sandpaper Gate Scandal has been put to a halt. According to him, it means there are no obstacles in Smith’s and Warner’s ways to be his successors as ODI captain.
“I don’t think [it would be an issue]. He captained a Test match in Adelaide after Pat was out with Covid. So I think that’s all been put to bed.”
Notably, Warner and Smith are among the strong candidates to replace Finch as Australia’s ODI captain, while the wicketkeeping batter Alex Carey is enlisted too.
