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Updated November 13th, 2021 at 21:18 IST

T20 World Cup: Aaron Finch opens up on Steve Smith's form ahead of finale clash vs NZ

Before the start of the T20 World Cup last month, Smith had said that his role in the team is to revive the innings if Australian openers get out early.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
T20 World Cup, T20 World Cup final, New Zealand vs Australia, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Steve Smith form, Steve Smith in T20 World Cup, Finch on Smith
Image: AP | Image:self
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Australian skipper Aaron Finch on Saturday shrugged off concerns regarding Steve Smith's abysmal batting form in the shortest format of the game. Finch, while speaking at the pre-match press conference, called Smith a "world-class" player and said his batting form is not a concern for him, adding "he is someone who has shown in big games how valuable he is". Finch said that Smith has been hitting the ball very well and that there are no concerns regarding his form whatsoever. 

"No, not concerned one bit about his form. He's a world-class player and he's someone in big games who has shown how valuable he is. He's been hitting the ball as well as I've seen for a long time, so no, no concerns there whatsoever," Finch told reporters ahead of ICC T20 World Cup final against New Zealand. 

Smith in T20 World Cup 2021

Steve Smith has played in all six games for Australia in the ongoing T20 World Cup in the UAE. The right-handed batter has scored 69 runs in total, including 35 runs against South Africa and 28 not-outs against Sri Lanka. Smith was dismissed for just 1 run against England and did not get the opportunity to bat in the subsequent two matches against Bangladesh and West Indies, respectively. Smith was removed for just 5 runs in an all-important semi-final against Pakistan on Thursday. 

Before the start of the T20 World Cup last month, Smith had said that his role in the team is to revive the innings if Australian openers get out early. Smith had played the same role during Australia's two practice games leading up to the World Cup opener, where he helped steady the innings for his side following early dismissals of David Warner, Aaron Finch, and Mitchell Marsh. 

Australia are all set to lock horns against New Zealand in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup on Sunday, November 14. While New Zealand are favourites to win the final, nobody can deny the fact that even a weakened Australian team can pull off a miracle on their day and can upset even the best of teams in the world. 

Image: AP

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Published November 13th, 2021 at 21:18 IST

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