Finch injury puts Aussie VC role in spotlight

Australia could be forced to find a new one-day international captain next week if Aaron Finch's knee injury sidelines him from the upcoming matches against West Indies in Barbados.

Finch is under a cloud for the three ODIs to be played next week after reaggravating a right knee issue in the fifth T20I against West Indies in St Lucia on Saturday morning (AEST).

The 34-year-old has been managing the niggle during the Caribbean tour but twisted it while fielding, briefly leaving the ground during the West Indian innings.

He then appeared in discomfort while batting, particularly after he sprinted a second a run on an overthrow early in his innings, nonetheless pushing on to hit six boundaries in 23-ball 34.

Vice-captain of the T20 side for this tour, Matthew Wade admitted he was not sure whether that title would also see him considered Finch's deputy for the 50-over games.

"It's a bit of a moving thing, the vice-captaincy," Wade told cricket.com.au after Australia's 16-run defeat sealed a 1-4 series loss.

"Going forward in the one-dayers I have no idea what will happen there. I am probably not expecting to play, especially if Finchy plays, but if he doesn't there might be an opportunity for me to play.

"I came over here thinking I would play the T20s and I wouldn’t play the ODIs. I think some of the younger guys would get some opportunities to play them which is fair enough, I've been around a long time now.

"But if Finchy doesn't come up there might be an opportunity to play, so we'll wait and see."

Pat Cummins is officially the vice-captain in all three formats but he is missing the tours of the Caribbean and Bangladesh along with other senior players including Steve Smith.

Alex Carey was Finch's listed deputy for Australia's most recent ODI, against India in December, when Cummins was rested ahead of the Test series that followed.

That was despite Carey being stripped of the 'co-vice-captain' tag he had previously held alongside Cummins earlier in 2020.

Moises Henriques, an ODI incumbent and an experienced skipper at domestic level, captained one of Australia's intra-squad games last week when Wade was moved into the same team as Finch.

Wade stood in for Finch as skipper when he missed one T20I last summer but has not played an ODI in nearly four years and has never captained the side.

"I love to captain whenever I get an opportunity," said Wade, who played the last of 94 ODIs in September 2017.

"I captained in the T20s (against India last summer), and we've got plenty of different leaders here. Moises is a really good leader, Adam Zampa is getting better and better, 'Starcy' and 'Hoff' (Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood) go about their thing.

"Captaining is pretty easy at this level with those experienced guys around so if I got the opportunity I'd jump at it."

Twenty20 cricket is currently a priority for all international teams with World Cups in that format to be held both this year and next year, while the next ODI World Cup is not until 2023.

With that in mind, the Aussies may elect to be cautious with Finch for the ODIs against the Windies, which are part of the International Cricket Council’s new ODI Super League.

But Wade said Finch could yet make a full recovery.

"I think it's been one of those things that has maybe hurt for a day but then the next day he can recover really quickly," said Wade.

"I wouldn't be putting a line through him as yet.

"It is an injury that has settled really quickly. He's carried it a little bit through this T20 series, but it has always seemed to come right so fingers crossed that will happen for him again."

The Aussies have also indicated that Ashton Agar (hamstring) and Ben McDermott (quad) are likely to be available for the ODIs after both missed the final three T20Is with minor injuries.

Qantas Tour of the West Indies 2021

Australia squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Wes Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey, Dan Christian, Josh Hazlewood, Moises Henriques, Mitchell Marsh, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Turner, Andrew Tye, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa. Travelling reserves: Nathan Ellils, Tanveer Sangha.

West Indies T20 squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran (vc), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Kevin Sinclair, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr

T20 series: West Indies won 4-1
(all matches at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, St Lucia)

First T20: West Indies won by 18 runs

Second T20: West Indies won by 56 runs

Third T20: West Indies won by six wickets

Fourth T20: Australia won by four runs

Fifth T20: West Indies won by 16 runs

ODI series
(all matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados)

First ODI (D/N): July 21, 4.30am AEST (July 20, 2.30pm local)

Second ODI (D/N): July 23, 4.30am AEST (July 22, 2.30pm local)

Third ODI (D/N): July 25, 4.30am AEST (July 24, 2.30pm local)

* Details of five-match T20 tour of Bangladesh are yet to be announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. Tours are subject to agreement on bio-security arrangements and relevant government approvals.