Steve Smith and Aaron Finch were both included in Australia’s squad for the World Twenty20 on Thursday despite injuries, while undefeated wicketkeeper-batsman Josh Inglis was a shock selection. Batting lynchpin Smith was under the cloud after he withdrew from the recent West Indies and Bangladesh tour due to a left elbow problem.
He said he could sacrifice himself to play in the T20 World Cup last month to make sure he was fit for the home Ashes series against England this year, with clean Test cricket being his priority. But he was a member of the 15 strongest teams nominated for the tournament from October 17 to November 14 in the United Arab Emirates and Oman.
Finch said this week that Smith was “going really well.”
“The last time I spoke to him, he wasn’t feeling the pain of batting, so it was really positive. He’s going to be an important part of our campaign,” the captain said. Finch underwent knee surgery after returning home from the Caribbean last week during the T20 clash in St. Lucia.
He missed the team’s subsequent ODIs against the West Indies and their tour of Bangladesh. Finch’s knee problems followed eye surgery this year after he complained of blurry vision. But he will lead the team at the World Cup which will also see the return of David Warner, Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins, who all opted out of Australia’s recent limited-overs tours to rest.
