Finch urges India not to rush Abhishek Sharma back for Pakistan clash

COLOMBO: Former Australia captain Aaron Finch has advised India not to hurry opener Abhishek Sharma back into action following illness, even if it means he misses the high-profile T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, stressing that long-term fitness should take precedence over a marquee fixture.

Abhishek was sidelined from India’s Group A match against Namibia on Thursday due to a stomach infection that required two days of hospitalisation.

“If Abhishek is still under the weather and you don't want to take a risk, that's totally fine. You can't win the tournament in the first phase, but you can certainly lose it. He's the most damaging player in world cricket, so you want him fit and firing,” Finch said on JioStar Media Day.

“If that means taking a couple of extra days of rest, that's something you'd absolutely be prepared to do, regardless of how big the India versus Pakistan match looks on paper. You want your best players fit and healthy when the business end of the tournament comes around,” he added.

Highlighting the left-hander’s value, Finch said Abhishek’s ability to dismantle bowling attacks from the outset is rare in modern T20 cricket.

“Any team that has Abhishek Sharma in it is going to be better in T20 cricket. He's a superstar. His ability to destroy an attack from ball one and keep going in a way that not many other players in the world, if any, can match makes him a special player.

“So, I really hope he is well enough soon because I love watching him play. It was unfortunate to see that he spent some time in the hospital unwell, and I wish him a speedy recovery,” Finch said.

Finch noted that while India would be keen to secure early qualification for the Super Eights with a win over Pakistan, the squad has ample depth to manage in Abhishek’s absence.

“India are stacked, no doubt about that. Sanju Samson at the top got off to a flyer against Namibia, along with Ishan Kishan. As big as the game is, India would have one eye on the Super Eights, the semifinal and the final,” he said, referring to Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan.

Reflecting on Australia’s surprise defeat to Zimbabwe in Colombo, Finch said the result was deserved based on the way the match unfolded.

“Zimbabwe played beautifully and deserved the win. I can understand Australia winning the toss and choosing to bowl first in a day game to a point, because the wicket did feel a little tacky in the lead-up. But that moisture disappeared as soon as the sun came out, and it was always going to get harder for batting,” said Finch, speaking about Australia and Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe were clinical. The way they structured their total, to be only two down, was outstanding. Brian Bennett played a brilliant innings. On paper, you might look at it and think he was only striking at 115, but that allowed the other guys to do damage around him.

“Then, with the ball, to rip the heart out of Australia in the powerplay and have them four down was extraordinary,” he added, praising Brian Bennett.

Finch also addressed the broader issue of Associate nations seeking more opportunities against full-member teams, calling it a complex challenge amid an already crowded international calendar.

“It’s not as simple as saying Associate teams just need to play more against the top Test-playing nations. I understand the logistical and economic challenges. But they sometimes lack the experience of closing out tight games against the best sides because they haven't done it regularly at this level,” he said.

“I also don't have the answer from an ICC or a board’s perspective. The cricket calendar is already very jam packed. I'd love to see more bilateral series, maybe even tri-series in T20 cricket.

“I always enjoyed tri-series because they bring different challenges. Rather than just playing the same opposition, you're chopping and changing. It gives you a helping hand when you get to a World Cup as well because it's a similar structure, with a new opposition every game,” Finch added.

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