Photo Credit: BCCI
Australian Men’s T20 Captain Aaron Finch has today announced his retirement from all international cricket, 12 years after making his debut.
Having retired from One Day Internationals in September last year, Finch steps away from T20 Internationals after 103 matches, where he averaged 34.28 at a strike rate of 142.5. He also played five Test matches in 2018.
Finch played juniors for Colac West and Premier Cricket with Geelong, before first representing Australia at the U19 World Cup in 2006 – alongside current internationals Usman Khawaja, Matthew Wade and David Warner.
Renowned for his power at the top of the order, Finch’s 172 off 76 balls against Zimbabwe in 2018 remains the highest individual score in T20 Internationals. At the time, this innings broke his own record of 156 of 63 balls against England in 2013.
Finch captained Australia in 76 T20 Internationals, more than any other men’s player, leading the team to a maiden ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title in 2021. He finishes his career as a two-time World Cup winner having been a part of the squad that claimed the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup title on home soil in 2015.
In what turned out to be Finch’s final match in the green and gold, he finished with a player-of-the-match performance against Ireland at the most recent T20 World Cup.
Finch will continue to play in T20 domestic competitions, including the KFC Big Bash League.
Speaking at the MCG to announce his retirement, Aaron Finch said: “Realising that I won’t be playing on until the next T20 World Cup in 2024, now is the right moment step down and give the team time to plan and build towards that event.
“I’d like to thank my family, especially my wife Amy, my teammates, Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers’ Association for their support to allow me to play the game I love at the highest level. I also want to say a huge thank you to all the fans who have supported me throughout my international career.
“Team success is what you play the game for and the maiden T20 World Cup win in 2021 and lifting the ODI World Cup on home soil in 2015 will be the two memories I cherish the most.
“To be able to represent Australia for 12 years and play with and against some of the greatest players of all time has been an incredible honour.
Cricket Australia Chair, Dr Lachlan Henderson said: “On behalf of Cricket Australia, I’d like to congratulate Aaron on an exceptional international career, where he finishes as one of our finest white-ball players. In full flight, there were few batters more powerful than Aaron, illustrated by the fact he holds two of the three highest ever scores in T20 International cricket.
“While he was a tough competitor on the field, Aaron always played the game with a smile on his face and in the right spirit. This earned him the respect of his teammates, opposition players and fans from around the world.
“As one of only four men’s players to captain Australia to a World Cup victory, Aaron will always have a special place in Australian Cricket’s history.
“Playing at the highest level for over a decade requires incredible determination and dedication, so we thank Aaron for his enormous contribution and wish him all the best in the next phase of his career.”
Name of Author: Cricket Australia
Cricket Australia (CA), formerly the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for cricket in Australia. Established in 1905 as the Australian Board of Control for International Cricket, CA manages all national teams, including Men’s, Women’s, and Youth sides, as well as other national teams. It oversees the organization of Test matches, ODIs, and T20Is, and coordinates home international fixtures.
