Former Australia coach Darren Lehmann has come out and said that limited overs cricket opener Aaron Finch has a very good chance to be selected as part of Australia's squad for the upcoming Test tour of UAE. Finch, being a very good player of spin, could well be considered by the national selection committee for the stern challenge of facing Pakistan in the subcontinent and Lehmann thinks that if he is there, he can really do well.
Australia’s selectors are set to pick the squad for the two-Test series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates after Australia A’s two four-day matches in India next month.
Talking about Finch's prowess for the red-ball game, Lehmann was quoted telling Geelong Advertiser as, "He can play Test cricket, there’s no doubt about that, He’s confident in the way he plays spin bowling, he can take an attack on, and leading into this Pakistan series he’s a really good chance to be selected for that one."
"He was always knocking on the door, but he just hadn’t made runs consistently. But his last couple of Shield years have been pretty good. If you take a look at his numbers, they’re right up there. He probably could’ve made a few more hundreds and pushed his case even further but he’s one player we talked about quite a lot. He’s close, and when I was coach, he was close. He’s probably closer now."
Lehmann speaking specifically about the kind of role Finch can play in the subcontinent, further added, "For example, if you’re playing in the subcontinent where the wickets don’t seam that much, I’d open with him, But if you’re playing in Australia, I’d bat him down the list. That’s the challenge Justin (Langer) and the selection panel have. But they’ve got to pick him first and work out where he bats."
"I’ve started to build up my red-ball game again and I feel a lot more comfortable now, I’ve started to play my natural game, ultra-aggressive whether I’m playing in Australia or England. Test cricket will take care of itself if I keep scoring runs. I do feel over the last few years I’ve adapted my game and I’m in a much better position."
(Inputs from Cricket.com.au)
