England rest Finn for ODI series against Australia
Towering young paceman Steven Finn won’t be a part of the England squad that faces Australia in the ODI series that begins later this month.
The 6ft 7in bowler snared a five-wicket haul in each of the two Tests in England’s recently completed series against Bangladesh, but will be rested for the ODIs against the old enemy as he undergoes a strengthening programme.
It’s a decision that means Ricky Ponting’s side will have to content themselves with what they can learn about Finn from a distance ahead of the 2010/11 Ashes series, with the 21-year-old surely doing enough with his opportunities so far to earn a trip to the southern hemisphere this winter.
“He is a young man that needs to develop more physically, and there is a window of opportunity to do that,” England team director Andy Flower said of the decision to apply the brakes just as Finn was gathering a full head of steam.
“It is the responsible thing to do for him personally and in the best interests of the English cricket side,” added Flower, who was also quick to point out the decision to leave Finn out of the series against Australia was not part of a cat and mouse game with the side’s Ashes rivals.
“This does not have anything to do with Australia, or the Australian series,” said Flower.
It does, however, deny Finn the chance to strike some early psychological blows against the Australia batsmen on his home turf before Australia assume the home advantage for the series that England have directed all their preparations towards almost since they regained the Ashes at The Oval last August.
The ECB has also rendered Finn unavailable for county club Middlesex’s Friends Provident t20 matches until June 15th, just days after announcing the seamer had been awarded an incremental contract for 2009/10.
Meanwhile, Australia will be without Brad Haddin for their forthcoming ODI series against England, with an elbow injury ruling the wicketkeeper-batsman out of the series.
Cricket Australia physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Haddin had been experiencing tendon elbow pain while batting at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.
As a result, Haddin will be left in Australia to rest and recover, while Tasmanian Tim Paine will be handed the gloves for the ODI series against England.
Haddin is now also in doubt for Australia’s two-Test series against Pakistan in England during July, which means Paine could be in line to make his Test debut ahead of the Ashes.
The ODI series between England and Australia (which runs from June 22nd to July 3rd) will be the last chance the teams have to face off against one another before Andrew Strauss’ men head Down Under in November with ambitions to retain the coveted Ashes urn.
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