Australia's limited-overs tour of England to give likes of Philippe, Stoinis and Tye chance to 'jump out of the pack' says skipper
Landmark UK tour to kickstart fresh Cup push: Finch
The selection door will be thrown back open for the next T20 World Cup, says Aaron Finch, giving hope to newcomers in Australia's extended squad for their landmark England tour that they won't just be making up the numbers.
A renewed push for an elusive T20 crown begins in earnest when the 21 players picked for Australia's first matches since COVID-19 restrictions took hold head to England on Sunday.
Josh Philippe is one of three uncapped players in the touring party, while the likes of Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Nathan Lyon and Andrew Tye will also be on the plane after earning recalls.
The three ODIs will be Australia's first games of the ICC's new ODI Super League, but it is the three T20s that are set to hold the most interest given there are two World Cups in the shortest format coming up in the next two years.
Australia's T20 and ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Daniel Sams, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
Having risen to No.1 in the world in T20s, Australia were in the final stages of settling on a preferred group of players for the T20 World Cup they had originally been slated to host on their home soil this year.
The pandemic has seen that event postponed to 2022 and set up the 2021 World Cup in India as the next major men's global tournament.
While Finch insisted the location of the World Cup will have little bearing on the specific roles Australia want for their T20 side, he did suggest players now have a fresh chance to force their way into selectors' thinking.
"What it does do is give people an opportunity to jump out of the pack and really make a great case to be part of that final 15 for the World Cup in India," said Finch.
"The fact it's been pushed back 12 months and it's in India, it doesn't really change the way we structure up the side because we feel like we had a lot of bases covered. Depending on wickets and conditions that we could go either way with that structure.
"We've played some really good consistent cricket in T20s over the last 18 months to two years, so that's something we're really comfortable with.
"But it does keep guys on their toes who have been in that playing 13, 14 over the last couple of years to continue to keep performing at a high level.
"More guys will get opportunities no doubt."
The size of Australia's squad reflects the fact they will not be able to call on replacements if players get injured, given the tight bio-secure restrictions that will be in place for the games in Manchester and Southampton, as well as warm-up matches in Derby.
Finch explained it will also help cover for players who find themselves mildly ill and would otherwise be cleared to play in less cautious times.
"Having a big squad is actually really important," said Finch. "You've got to have contingencies for every possible scenario - that goes for the staff as well.
"It gets to a point where if someone gets a runny nose, they're going to have to isolate so you have to have enough people there to cover enough different roles.
"We think it's a really good opportunity to get some new guys around the squad and expose them to the Australian environment, not just playing but just travelling and training.
"Everyone in that squad is there to play a role if needed. I can’t tell you exactly if there will be 12 blokes play, or 14, or 18, or all 21… But if the opportunity is there these guys are more than equipped to play."
The tour marks the first Australian national sporting team to head abroad during the pandemic and Finch is eager to ensure his side abides to the strict 'bubble' rules that will be in place for the duration of their three-and-a-half-week trip.
Star England quick Jofra Archer breached the protocols in place for their Test series against West Indies last month, while numerous slip-ups have occurred in Australia's winter football codes in recent weeks.
Finch said punishments for transgressions from Australian players had yet to be settled on, but stressed players owe it to fans and to administrators around the world who have worked on the logistics of the resumption of cricket to toe the line.
"What’s important to remember is we are in a position to help continue the global game, and there should be no more motivation than that to do everything right," he said.
"I’ve been very strong with the guys in the last couple of weeks about making sure that we do literally everything we can with regards to the protocols to keep the global game going.
"Because at the end of the day, if that fails then we are all out of jobs and the game is not in a healthy state, which we can’t afford to have.
"There's been so much time and effort put in by thousands of people to give us the opportunity to play international cricket again, and even us leaving Australia, leaving Victoria, is a big process.
"The people who’ve worked their backside off over the last couple of months to allow it to happen in Australia, in the UK, in India, South Africa, the UAE, wherever it is, thousands of people are doing an unbelievable amount of work to get the game up and running again.
"We owe it to them in particular to do everything right."