ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022

October 27, 2022

Aaron Finch

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Australia

Pre Match Media Conference

Q. How much faith do you have in the Melbourne weather to turn things around by tomorrow evening?

AARON FINCH: It's been an unusual couple of days, hasn't it? I think it's going to clear up tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully we can get a full game in.

Q. When you see the games affected by rain and it really helps the team, how do you feel about that? Do you feel relieved or happy?

AARON FINCH: Yeah, it is what it is. I think you can't put too much into it. I think playing a T20 World Cup this time of year I think weather is inevitable.

All we can do as a team is plan and prepare as well as we can for England tomorrow, which we have done each game so far. And I think our players are experienced enough to be able to adapt to a shortened game if that may be. You can't let that consume you and try to think too much about it.

You can, in the background, as a sort of a strategy, we can prepare and strategize what it may look like if the game is shortened. But their players have played enough cricket that they can do it themselves on their own as well.

Q. What did you think when you saw the result yesterday? Did you just jump off the plane and look at the phone when you got into Melbourne and sort of say that the group had opened up a bit?

AARON FINCH: I think we landed -- by the time we got on the bus it started raining. So (indiscernible) England were in a great position with Mo just starting to get going.

The group is wide open because any team can win on any day. That's the thing about T20; you can't take anything for granted in a game.

Afghanistan, they're a really skillful, talented side. Ireland have got the skills there. Sri Lanka on a day can beat anyone as well. So I think the group was always going to be wide open, and it's a tough group to get through, no doubt.

Q. Adam Zampa, will he come back to you? How's he going? And are you going to stick with the 11? What's the go there?

AARON FINCH: We haven't talked about the team yet. But I've heard Zampa is feeling a lot better. He's been up and about. He was just, not (indiscernible), but he was just flat the day before the game. And we're going to give him as much time as possible to get up for the game.

But he thought it would be too much of an effect, would take too much out of him. And going into a World Cup game, you want to be at 100 percent. And he felt as though he wasn't. That was the reason he pulled out. But I expect that he'll be available, yeah.

Q. England suggested yesterday they left those guys, Moeen and Livingston, maybe a touch light. In terms of your tactical considerations tomorrow, were you aware of that and is that a bit of a lesson for this game?

AARON FINCH: I think our side structures out pretty similar regardless. I think we've gone, in the past, we've gone with that aggressive batting lineup with a powerful middle order in terms of Maxwell, Stoinis, David and Wade as your four to seven.

Not a huge amount of changes from our point of view. I think we feel each player can player can play their role in situations really well. And I suppose that was the difference, the other night, the middle order would play in spots that were probably more ideal than what we've given them as a top order in the last handful of games.

I think they would have probably come in a little bit earlier and they haven't been able to be as attacking from the very start because there's been a rebuild phase. That was important the other night, is it allowed Maxy and Stoinis to play the way that they did.

Q. Just wondered about how you feel about your own form. There was a moment in the game against Sri Lanka where you tried to give it hell (indiscernible) wicket, and visibly was just, like, what do I need to do to get a break here, kind of reaction. Can you kind of laugh that off as just one of those things in the game? Or is it really a tough thing for you going through at the moment trying to find the form you've had throughout most of your career?

AARON FINCH: I think it's an anomaly (indiscernible) my career. It's just one of those days. I hit a real nice pull straight to the fielder, and then a off drive in the same over, straight to the field.

I felt I was playing quite well. And once Maxy started to get away I probably went into my shell a little bit and looked to just get off (indiscernible) rather than hitting good strong shots out to a field, out to a deep man. I was trying to get off a strike in the ring, which is never, it's never easy when you're facing a world-class spinner like Theekshana.

And that's probably what I will change next time. I think I was probably one or two boundaries away from being back to a runner ball and it probably looks a little bit different there.

We identified early in the game or in our power play when the ball was zipping around a bit that we didn't want to try over-attack and expose the middle order too early because then you risk going two or three down in the power play. And then it's a struggle to get the game back into a position where you can get home a little bit more comfortable.

So it's just that middle part. I think straight after the 10-over timeout, (indiscernible), so a lot of dot balls there. But I still feel like I'm playing pretty well.

Q. The game against England, World Cup, MCG, everything that goes with it, all the history and everything, with two teams having lost a game already, does it make it a perfect scenario for you in terms of what you want to produce on the big stage?

AARON FINCH: You want to produce every game. And I don't think -- no one can try any harder. That's the thing, everyone's, both teams, all the teams that are here, everyone tries as hard as they can to perform on the day.

And I still feel confident in my game, 100 percent. It doesn't get much bigger than MCG, with a full house. I think it's sold out, with a lot on the line.

It will be a great occasion and hopefully the weather clears up and we can have a great game.

Q. Aaron, just watching you play out on the field in Perth, it seems you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Normally you're a pretty relaxed guy on the field --

AARON FINCH: (Indiscernible) closer then. I think the boys would say something different.

Q. Do you kind of need to lighten up a little? Seems that the team seems to play tense as well lately?

AARON FINCH: I felt really relaxed the other day. When we first came on the field felt like we were really switched on and ready to go. And I don't feel any more pressure than I ever have. The only pressure is the expectation you put on yourself.

And I think that's what comes with being a decent player, being on a really good side for a long time is you put pressure on yourself to perform because you want the team to win, obviously.

But every team has that. Every team has expectations. Every team wants to win. Like I said, you can't try any harder to win. It comes down to execution. The other day I was just slightly off, but that can happen. Sri Lanka bowled very well, too.

Q. What have you made of some of the talk in your position? Obviously it's been going on for a while. I think AB came out yesterday and said Steve should come in and play of you. What have you made about that speculation?

AARON FINCH: Lucky I pick the team then, isn't it? One of the fielders that we sit down and discuss the team. But everyone's got their opinion. That's fine. I've got no issues with what people, what their personal opinions are. I don't read or listen to any of it personally. I don't know that.

Q. Australia's first game at MCG since Shane Warne's passing. What do you think it's going to be like for the players looking up and seeing the Shane Warne stand?

AARON FINCH: It will be tough, I think, that someone who had such an impact on so many guys with us growing up, him being our idol, to me personally, knowing him personally and being a Victorian, coming to the G so many times and watching him do his thing and perform unbelievably well is really special. It will be difficult. But I hope everyone can celebrate it as well.

Q. How relevant are those matches against England a few weeks back for tomorrow? If it gets tight at the end (indiscernible) England came through in Perth, that finish, would that be on anyone's mind, will it have an impact?

AARON FINCH: I don't think it will have an impact. Our guys are really good at being able to identify where individually you can improve and as a team where we can improve.

So that gives you confidence going forward that you know where the smaller margins in the game are. But at the end of the day it just comes down to execution under pressure and that's as simple as you have to keep it as a player.

You can't draw back from something and, I guess, hold that as a negative when you're playing a game three weeks later. I don't think that anyone has ever done that, you might use it as preparation to plan a little bit differently as a batsman.

You might be able to identify some patterns that England bowled at you, or with the ball, how a particular player played. That's all in the planning preparation stage for the game. Once you're into it, if you're not 100 percent focused on each delivery that you're executing with bat on ball or in the field, then the game's way too hard.

Q. Aaron, one specifically about Adam Zampa, provided he's fit, he's had some good battles with Moeen Ali in the past. Can you just talk about sort of you working with him as a (indiscernible) leg spinner and some of the circumstances in which I suppose you'd want him to be bowling tomorrow or you wouldn't -- how does that go?

AARON FINCH: Yeah, they've had some really good batters. That's one thing that -- Mo is obviously a unbelievable striker of spin, and Zamps is always up for the challenge. That's the great trait that he's got. I think he never backs away from a challenge. Takes it on.

He wants to be there in the heat of battle. And that's something that I admire so much about him because compared to other guys around the world he doesn't spin the ball as much as them. But what he's got is a huge heart and his accuracy, his cricket brain. The amount of work he does in the preparation for a game is outstanding.

So when you play against world-class players, either batting or bowling, you're going to have days where they get you and you get them. And if you play for long enough it evens out after a while, I think in most cases. That will be a key battle tomorrow night if Zampa is 100 percent ready to go, which I think he is.

Q. You mentioned how you're not wanting to get the middle-order guys in too early, particularly given, I suppose, some of the conditions that you're facing. Does that then become a bit of a consideration in terms of how you and Dave want to play? But also whether you do think of someone like Steve Smith having that other steadier player in the top six?

AARON FINCH: We consider all that kind of stuff when we go through our strategy for tomorrow's game, or for every game, when we sit down and go through that, and I don't think it changes the way that we play as an opening pair.

I think there's times when you look to identify targets in the game and you look to identify threats. And I suppose to Davey and I they're generally totally different. So if there's a good matchup for me, that would generally mean that it's not his strongest matchup so we can form a partnership that way and vice versa.

I think that that's important in a partnership, that you are really honest with your partner. As a group, the longer you play, the more you identify each other's strengths and weaknesses and threats throughout a game.

So you almost -- we're not even talking, you just naturally build that partnership and you're able to almost, like not feed off each other but almost protect each other to some point. But knowing that that's a way that you can try and dominate a game as well.

Q. You mentioned you think the game tomorrow night might be sold out. Do you think the atmosphere could have an effect on the game tomorrow night, especially if it's a (indiscernible) and might be unnerving for some of the younger players?

AARON FINCH: I think most guys have played in front of some big crowds, especially in England. The crowds aren't as big obviously as the other crowds. But if you get stuck on the Western Terrace at theater at Heavenly, or Edgbaston. But most guys would have played in front of crowds that are vocal, you're playing in front of 40,000, you can't hear a guy standing next to you.

We love the support that we get here in Australia and no doubt there will be some loud English fans as well.

Q. Obviously Pat Cummins has been a weapon in all forms for Australia for a long time. But he's been targeted a little bit and especially light in innings the last couple of games. How have you viewed his performance, and is he still a weapon in T20 cricket in your eyes?

AARON FINCH: Absolutely. His numbers over the last 18 months have been outstanding in T20 cricket. The other day had 1 for 16 off 3. Missed a ball in the last inning, that contributes.

Blows my mind sometimes where people go with selection chat and stuff like that. He's been unbelievable over all formats for a long time. The calmness he brings to our bowling group and experience, it's invaluable.

Q. Is it fair to say you need to find another level to start competing with the upper echelon in the tournament so far? The first game was a bit of a disaster. Got back to what you needed to do against Sri Lanka. Did you need to find another gear, and do you think you can do that with the current setup; or do you need to maybe rethink that in terms of Cameron Green or Steve Smith or someone else?

AARON FINCH: I think we definitely can. There's always another gear you can go to. The wickets haven't been just true stand-and-deliver wickets with the bat, except (indiscernible). He came hard at us. And he did that.

But that was sort out of box for that game. Not many others do that throughout the whole game, dominated from ball one like he did. So the India/Pakistan game, swinging seam, first up, the other night in Perth, swing and seam first up.

I think it's about guys batting at the right time as opposed to throwing the baby out with the bath water and reshaping it all.

Saw the other night when we had a platform for Maxy to come in and be able to be aggressive and take it on from the start and Stoinis came in, played the way he did, because in the past, probably they played in positions really well. Haven't had to rebuild. Anytime you have to rebuild, that takes a little bit of momentum, and it takes a little bit of time.

Well, there's two ways you can go about it. Either do it that way or come out guns blazing and risk going the other way. But that just hasn't been a tournament so far that you look and you go, wow, batting's dominating bowl. I think after the 10 over mark, it seems to have been getting a little bit easier just because the ball gets a little softer, doesn't swing as much. I think that's the difference, more so than trying to reshape everything.

Q. Maxy's good to go after that knock in the neck; he's fine?

AARON FINCH: Yeah, decent bruise there but he's fine.

Q. Mark Wood's been, he's been taking wickets fine. But everything -- (indiscernible) at 150 consistently. What kind of challenge is that going to bring on a wicket that's going to (indiscernible) it?

AARON FINCH: He bowls similar everywhere he plays. And that's obviously a challenge for anybody at that pace. He's quite accurate with it as well. And that will be a challenge for our players. I think we have the right people to take that on, however each individual guy decides to do that.