Australia’s 21-man squad will play its first intra-squad 50-over game on Friday.
Australia’s limited-overs captain Aaron Finch on Wednesday (August 26) said he will miss the “banter” of English crowds during the upcoming white-ball series between the two rivals since the spectators are not allowed at the stadiums due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
These days, all the cricketing events have been held at the empty stadiums with the players restricted to bio-secure bubbles in a wake of the global Coronavirus outbreak.
After hosting West Indies, Ireland, and Pakistan, England is now set to host Australia in a three-match One Day International series and as many as T20Is starting on 4th September at the bio-secure Ageas Bowl. Australia squad has also arrived in England this week for the limited-overs campaign.
Describing the English crowds as “pretty special”, Finch said Australia’s cricketers will miss the taunts of England fans but insisted that the absence of spectators will not mean a lack of intensity in the upcoming series from 4-16 September amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finch told reporters in a conference call: “It’s always good to have a crowd to entertain and the banter that comes from particularly English crowds is pretty special. Do they go over the top? Sometimes, maybe. But I think it’s all a great thing to be a part of, especially if you beat England over here. You know you have to overcome so much and on the field that accounts for a lot. It will be different but I don’t think it takes away from the intensity of the game, from our point of view.”
After having returned from Coronaviris-forced break, England has so far played six behind-closed-doors Tests against the West Indies and Pakistan, and three ODIs against Ireland and the Aussie opener further said he has been watching them all back home.
Finch further added, “I have seen all of it from back at home (on television). It is obviously a little bit different with no crowds, but at the end of the day as cricketers, we probably play 95 percent of our games in front of not many people so I think that we would be used to it.
We played the game against New Zealand at the SCG, which was our last game, behind closed doors so I don’t think you need any extra motivation or any crowd to pump you up - not that we get it here in the UK, anyway. At the end of the day, we are still playing international cricket. What it'll come down to is pride in your performance and representing your country really proudly. It will be different but I don't think it will take away from the intensity of the games whatsoever.”
The 33-year-old batsman he was “100 percent confident” about coming to England for “the health of the global game” during this critical phase.
Finch signed off by saying, “We need cricket back up and running. Our part as players is that we are doing everything we can, within the restrictions of international travel and following health authorities’ protocols and government restrictions. After seeing (the series so far in England), I think it put a lot of minds at ease that you can travel and you can lock down in a bio-bubble and make it all happen. I think for global cricket to be back up and running is so important on so many levels.”
(With AFP Inputs)