Placed at the bottom of the Big Bash League live score, Melbourne Renegades will welcome former skipper and opening batter, Aaron Finch, with both hands as they look to turn their season around.

Finch will be available for the Renegades when they host the table-toppers, Perth Scorchers, at the Docklands Stadium on Wednesday. The Aussie white-ball captain hasn’t played since leading Australia to the T20 World Cup win in November.

“It’s been a little while but I’m excited to get back out there. I’ve had one hit and it didn’t go to plan but … it takes a bit of time to get back into it after about eight weeks of not batting. It’s been a real down period which has been nice actually to mentally and physically refresh,” Finch said while commentating in the match between Brisbane Heat and Sydney Thunder.

Aaron Finch underwent a successful operation back in August to repair cartilage in his right knee. He managed to play the T20 World Cup held in the UAE. However, he was worried about aggravating it ahead of the Renegades’ opening match against Adelaide Strikers.

Aaron Finch

(Photo by Robert Cianflone – CA/Cricket Australia via Getty Images)

“I literally didn’t pick up a bat since the World Cup final until a couple of days ago. I’ve had one hit, which was on Friday, so I’ll hit a lot of balls in the next couple of days but all feeling good at the moment. I think the skill acquisition part of it isn’t something that needs a huge amount at 35 years old, I think there’s a decent base to fall back on,” Finch mentioned.

Aaron Finch on new captain Nic Maddinson

Ahead of BBL XI, Finch confirmed that he will be stepping down as the captain in order to focus on himself. The 35-year-old lost his form and therefore, decided to pass on the mantle considering there are plenty of youngsters in the squad.

Nic Maddinson was then appointed as the skipper and he will take over from Kane Richardson. Maddinson missed the first couple of games due to Australia A duties and Richardson was acting as the stand-in skipper. “I don’t think it will be weird, I think it will be quite refreshing,” Finch said about playing under a new captain.

Nic Maddinson - (62 Sixes in BBL)

“It will be a chance for Maddo to take over the role and get a really extended run at it. I’ve still had a lot of conversations with (coach David Saker) around some things and I’m more than happy to help out where I can,” Finch added.

Finch provides an update on Renegades’ missing players

Aaron Finch revealed that seasoned batsman, Shaun Marsh, will be returning to the squad post-Christmas. Marsh sustained a calf injury while playing for Western Australia in the Sheffield Shield last month.

Also returning will be James Pattinson once he clears the fitness Tests. Pattinson has retired from international cricket due to concerns over his body, which surfaced ahead of Renegades’ previous match. This will be an interesting addition to the situation, as the cricket betting sites list grows longer.

Shaun Marsh

Talking about the performances of the Renegades’ youngsters so far, Aaron Finch reckoned they have been impressive and the management couldn’t have asked for more. “(You) couldn’t ask for a huge amount more from a really young group, a group of guys who haven’t played much T20 cricket,” he said.

“(Mackenzie) Harvey, (Jake) Fraser-McGurk, (James) Seymour, (Jono) Merlo – when that’s the make-up of four of your top six, it’s always going to back against the wall. The way the boys have embraced it and taken on the challenge has been really impressive,” Finch concluded.

Share this post!