George Bailey gives context to the axing of Mitchell Starc for Australia's final T20 World Cup match and backs Aaron Finch
Selection chief explains Starc, Finch World Cup calls
Selection chief George Bailey has given further context to the contentious axing of Mitchell Starc for Australia's final T20 World Cup match, while he defended the decision to keep Aaron Finch on as captain for the tournament.
The defence of their maiden men's T20 crown won in the United Arab Emirates last year fell flat as the Aussies missed out on a semi-final berth for the event they are hosting for the first time.
Starc was a surprise omission for Friday's clash with Afghanistan, a last-ditch attempt to make up the net-run-rate (NRR) that had taken a battering in their tournament opener against New Zealand, with late-overs specialist Kane Richardson picked instead.
At issue was Starc's death bowling, explained Bailey, who also suggested the recall of Cameron Green (as a replacement for Finch who suffered a hamstring injury) had been a factor, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood were preferred over the left-armer to take with the new ball.
"It was a little bit around his death bowling," Bailey said of Starc, whose economy rate at the death in T20s since last year's World Cup final stands at 10.22, while Richardson's is 8.77.
"Due to the fact we were bringing Cameron Green in who can do a really good job through the middle and I think he did the other night, it was about attacking a bit earlier.
"We've been pretty consistent with using Patty and Josh through the Powerplay and it meant we were going to look to use them a little earlier, then to push through the middle with 'Zamps' (leg-spinner Adam Zampa).
"It was a tactical decision, it was a match-up decision. People can make of that what they will – and clearly are.
"… To be clear, just because someone's not in an XI, it doesn't mean we think they're not a good player. It doesn't remove the fact of whatever they might have done for Australia in the past. Unfortunately you can only pick 11."
The international future of Finch, meanwhile, is up in the air with Australia's next T20Is not to be played until August next year while the next World Cup in the shortest format is not until 2024.
The right-hander finished with Australia's highest batting average for the tournament (53.50) but his strike-rate of 110.30 was well below his best and the 35-year-old himself described his innings of 31no off 42 balls against Sri Lanka in Perth as "poor".
Opening during this World Cup has hardly been a piece of cake; Finch's partner David Warner (averaged 11, SR of 107) struggled, as have the likes of India skipper Rohit Sharma (average of 17, SR 110) and Pakistan pair Babar Azam (average 7.80, SR 62) and Mohammad Rizwan (average of 20.60, SR 100).
Yet, purely on the numbers, Finch's T20I form has been on the decline for some time. For the last two years, he has averaged 28.55 in the format with a strike-rate of 122. Prior to that, he averaged 38 and struck at 154.
But Bailey insisted Finch had become a valuable T20 'anchor' in the tournament, contending his form in T20s compared to the 50-over version he retired from earlier this year was strong, while suggesting his leadership was an added factor in his favour.
"A lot of people were getting a little confused with one day cricket and T20 cricket. And there's a little bit of a difference there," said Bailey.
"A lot of teams have sort of had someone who played a bit of an anchor role and that seems to have been spruiked as a reason that other teams are having success.
"Finchy was almost morphing into that type of player for us. I think his record held up pretty well through the tournament.
"I do think a lot of people were judging the batsmanship and not the actual overall leadership and captaincy package, and the potential disruption that could have if you if you shift that late into a tournament.
"I think he played well. And now he's bought himself some time has to make up his mind and see what he wants to do in the future."
Bailey identified the loss to the Black Caps as the key moment in their disappointing campaign, noting that making up NRR against teams like Ireland and Afghanistan was always going to prove a tough ask given how the lesser-credentialled nations have improved in T20 cricket.
Chasing 201 against NZ, the Aussies were bowled out for just 111 in 17.1 overs and Bailey suggested even lessening the margin of that defeat could have helped.
"You'd like to think that batting line up should be able to find its way to 140,150 at the best of times and then you're having a different conversation," he said.
Men's T20 World Cup 2022
Semi-final 1: Wednesday, New Zealand v Pakistan, SCG, 7pm AEDT
Semi-final 2: Thursday, India v England, Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT
Final: Sunday November 13, MCG, 7pm AEDT
Click here for all 2022 T20 World Cup results