AUS vs AGF: "I Am Very Hopeful Of Playing Against Afghanistan But..." - Australian Skipper Aaron Finch Says Ahead Of Crucial Match Against The Mohammad Nabi-led Team

Defending champions Australia is dealing with injury concerns for three important players, including captain Aaron Finch, who is uncertain whether he will lead the team against Afghanistan at the Adelaide Oval on Friday, November 4. Despite a poor start against New Zealand in this year’s T20 World Cup, Australia returned to the tournament after winning two games.

Aaron Finch, Tim David, and Marcus Stoinis suffered injuries in Australia’s 42-run win over Ireland in Brisbane on Monday. Finch’s injury is the most concerning because he has a history of hamstring problems. All-rounders David and Stoinis did not take the field during Ireland’s innings.

The Australian captain showed signs of regaining form, scoring 63 runs off 44 deliveries with five fours and three sixes to help his team reach a match-winning total against Ireland.

Little Hammy Twinge – Aaron Finch

Finch underwent a fitness test on Wednesday, including a series of hamstring stretches in front of the team’s fitness staff and selection chair George Bailey.

“Little hammy twinge I think. I’ll get a scan tomorrow (Tuesday). Unfortunately, I’ve had a history with them so we’ll see how it goes. It doesn’t feel too bad at the moment, but generally overnight they can stiffen up,” Finch said after the win on Monday.

“We’ll get a scan and get the full results, but I am very hopeful (of playing against Afghanistan) but we’ll know more (Tuesday).”

Young all-rounder Cameron Green could replace Finch as the opener if the captain is ruled out of the match. The wicketkeeper-batsman, Matthew Wade, will captain Australia in his absence. Green was a late addition to the squad in place of an injured Josh Inglis.

Australia will need to beat Afghanistan by a huge margin to gain a net run rate advantage over England. However, New Zealand and England remain favorites to reach the semi-finals. The all-important Net Run Rate (NRR) factor that will determine whether they qualify for the semifinals, lifted to -0.304 after the win against Ireland but is still below England (0.239) and New Zealand (2.233).

Also read: IND vs BAN: “I Think He’s Just Out Of Form, He Looked Like He Was Getting Back In Form At Perth…” – Former England Spinner Graeme Smith On Indian Vice Captain KL Rahul