Maxwell and Hazlewood heap praise on Aaron Finch the captain

Aaron Finch recently stepped down from ODI cricket after a lean run of affairs that saw him struggling to get numbers on board. Despite his dip in batting form, Finch has always been a juggernaut in the shorter formats of the game and has led Australia from the very front.

For a short stint, he was also seen in RCB colors, and during his tenure at the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he led a significant charge, stitching together important runs in the opening slot that secured a handful of crucial wins for the franchise.

Current RCB quick, Josh Hazlewood opened up on his relationship with the Australian opener as the latter stepped down from the pedestal. Talking about the significant impact left by Finchy on the international fabric, Hazlewood said, “We've got a good relationship with Finchy, the bowling attack has been pretty similar for however long he's been captain really. We know each other really well and [he's] pulling the strings out there on the field, discussions with the strategy teams and coaches.”

The fast bowler fondly known as the Bendemeer Bullet further added, “Think all the teams feel they are quite senior and there are a lot of guys who take leadership upon themselves in the middle when they were doing their skill. There's quite a lot of experience and think it will be quite easy for the next captain to come in and seamlessly transition.”

RCB all-rounder, Glenn Maxwell was also vocal about the towering presence of Finchy in the Australian squad. Maxi highlighted how his personal battles with the bat have not impacted Finch as the skipper on the field.

Talking about Finch’s mental solidity, Maxi said, “Think we saw it a lot last year in the UAE, thought he was outstanding with our whole bowling group, brilliant with the strategy side of it and the way he keeps the group nice and calm. It's a very underrated thing in T20 cricket, you think it's all helter-skelter…but he's really good tactically, don't discount his value as captain.”

“Obviously it wasn't the easiest time over the last little bit in one-day cricket, but his attitude never changed and the professionalism he brought to the team was brilliant. We are very thankful, when he took over the job it was a pretty tough time and he took care of the group and got them out the other side. We are all really proud of the way he led us,” concluded Maxwell.