"True champion of white-ball game": Australian cricket fraternity reacts to Aaron Finch's retirement from ODIs
Sep 10, 2022
Melbourne [Australia], September 10 : The Australian cricket fraternity took to social media to congratulate Australian opener and white-ball skipper Aaron Finch after he announced his retirement from the One Day International (ODI) format of the game.
Australia captain Aaron Finch will retire from one-day international cricket, with Sunday's ODI against New Zealand set to be his last in the format.
Cricket Australia took to Twitter to call him a "true champion of the white-ball game."
"A true champion of the white-ball game. Aaron Finch will retire from one-day cricket after tomorrow's third and final Dettol ODI vs New Zealand, with focus shifting to leading Australia at the #T20WorldCup," tweeted Cricket Australia.
"Aaron Finch will call time on his outstanding ODI career after tomorrow's match against New Zealand. One of Australia's best, ever," said a tweet from his Big Bash League franchise Melbourne Renegades.
Former Australian captain Steve Smith took to Instagram to congratulate his teammate for a great ODI career.
"Congrats @aaronfinch5 on a stellar ODI career," said Smith on his Instagram story. 
Star Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell took to Instagram to congratulate Finch on his retirement from ODIs.
"Congrats to this bloke on an amazing ODI career!! 17 tons in only 145 games, WC winner, captained for over a third of your career, unlimited double teapots, countless blow ups with me, 136000 bubbles blown while batting. Enjoy retirement my dear friend," said Maxwell in a post. 
Veteran opener David Warner, with whom he formed a highly successful opening duo in ODI cricket, also took to Instagram to bid farewell to his batting partner from ODI cricket.
"We are not completely done just yet but, well done on an unbelievable ODI career mate. I have loved every minute of being your partner up the other end. From under 15s to now, it's been a dream come true! You can now put the feet up and enjoy the family time. Thank you for all the memories on and off the field. Sorry I can't be there tomorrow but I had a sneaky suspicion the other day it would be our last. Looking forward to being by your side in the T20s legend. Love you brother @aaronfinch5," said Warner in a post. 
Finch and Warner are a highly successful opening duo with 3,788 partnership runs in 80 innings at an average of 47.94. They have been involved in 12 century and 14 fifty-run stands. Their highest partnership is of 258 runs.
Sharing a video posted by cricket.com.au, all-rounder Cameron Green also paid tribute to his senior player, saying in his story, "Legend. @aaronfinch5."
Although Finch will not be a part of Australia's ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 squad, Finch will continue to captain the side in this year's T20 World Cup.
Leading up to his retirement, Finch was in terrible form in ODIs, having scored only 169 runs in 13 ODIs this year at an average of 13.00. He crossed the fifty-run mark only once this year in ODI with a best of 62.
Having made his ODI debut in 2013, Finch exits the format with an experience worth of 145 games in the 50-over format, in which he has scored 5,401 runs at an average of 39.13. He has scored 17 centuries and 30 half-centuries for Aussies in this format, with his best score being 153*.
He has the fourth highest number of centuries in ODI cricket for Australia, behind Mark Waugh and David Warner (18 each) and the legendary Ricky Ponting (29).
Finch was also part of the Australian team that won the ICC Cricket World Cup back in 2015.
He delivered some solid performances in that tournament, scoring 280 runs in eight matches at an average of 35.00. He scored one century and a half-century in that tournament with the best score of 135.
