Finch honoured with ODI award

Australia's World Cup campaign might have fallen despairingly short of its ambition, but the contribution made by skipper Aaron Finch saw him named ODI Player of the Year at tonight's Australian Cricket Awards.

Despite his reputation as one of the men's game's pre-eminent short-form batters, it was the first time Finch has taken the nation's top individual ODI honour since it was first bestowed in 2000 and won last year by allrounder Marcus Stoinis.

The 33-year-old opener polled 38 votes to win the annual prize from Usman Khawaja (33 votes) and fellow opener David Warner (24 votes).

While Finch was occasionally upstaged by his opening partner (and dual winner in 2017 and 2018) Warner, it was the Victorian's efforts in the lead-up to the quadrennial tournament held in the UK last year that secured him the top billing.

Having endured a tough trot with the bat during the 2018-19 summer, in which he posted just one 40-plus score in nine innings, which led some to question his place in Australia's limited-overs line-up with Warner and Steve Smith due to return from their year-long bans.

But Finch put paid to that speculation with spectacular successes in away series against India (in India) and Pakistan (in the UAE) as his team's World Cup preparations entered the final phase.

The powerful right-hander reeled off consecutive innings 116, 153no, 90 in the UAE before blazing 153 from 132 balls in Australia's World Cup meeting with Sri Lanka at The Oval.

It was the second-highest individual innings of the tournament, after Warner's 166 against Bangladesh at Trent Bridge.

Finch finished the voting period for the men's ODI Player of the Year with 1,141 runs at an average of 51.86 (strike rate 89.42 per 100 balls faced) with four centuries and six 50s from his 23 appearances.

Next-best performed ODI batter in a bumper 12 months of ODI cricket for the men's outfit was Usman Khawaja (1,085 runs at 49.32) followed by Warner who scored 647 at 71.89 (with three centuries) from his 10 appearances after the completion of his ban.

Reigning champions Australia failed to reach the final of the World Cup when they were eliminated in a semi-final by eventual champions, England.

Male ODI Player of the Year

Aaron Finch: 38 votes

Usman Khawaja: 33

David Warner: 24