Explosive Australian batter Aaron Finch, who has been axed from the squad for the upcoming five-match ODI series against Pakistan, has admitted that nobody but himself is to be blamed for his omission from the team.
Finch, along with experienced Australian batsman George Bailey have been sidelined for the ODI series against Pakistan, while uncapped fast bowler Billy Stanlake and Chris Lynn have been included in the 16-man line-up.
Bailey has scored one fifty in his past 10 ODIs while Finch has scored four fifties in his last 18 innings.
After his BBL team, the Renegades, were thrashed by cross-town rivals Stars on Saturday, Finch said, "I was disappointed but I can't really kick cans. I haven't made may runs in the last couple of series. It's something like 215 runs in 10 hits and that's just not really good enough. When you have guys performing well in this [the BBL] and the Matador Cup - of course I'm disappointed but I have no one to blame but myself."
"They just said make some more runs," ESPNcricinfo quoted Finch as saying. "When Trevor [Hohns, the interim head of the selection panel] rang me I just said 'I can't disagree with you, which is the sad thing'. Usually when you're dropped you want to be able to fire back some bullets but I had absolutely nothing!"
The 30-year-old has made 144 runs in the four BBL innings this season but again fell when set against in Saturday's match, making 27 in his side's 46-run defeat.
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Despite helping his franchise qualify for the finals of the BBL, Finch said he did not take any consolation in being able to stick around rather than joining up with Australia.
"I don't really see that as a silver lining, no. You never want to be dropped, and any time you get an opportunity to play for Australia you take it with both hands no matter what's happening around you. I'm disappointed not to have that opportunity now but I only have myself to blame. I can't be too disappointed," he said.
"I need to stop making 30s and 20s and start making match-winning scores. I haven't done that. I'm trying to get the side off to a good start but I've got out when I've done the hard work, which is frustrating."
The explosive right-handed batsman insisted that at the moment he is just getting out despite hitting the balls beautifully.
"I'm hitting them beautifully at the moment and picking it up well but just getting out. I got deceived a bit for length today but that happens when you're going hard in a T20," he said.
"When a guy gets in at the top everyone can bat around them but I'm not doing that at the moment - I'm exposing new batsmen at once, which is not ideal," he added.
Australia squad: Steven Smith (capt), David Warner, Pat Cummins, James Faulkner, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Chris Lynn, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Matthew Wade, Adam Zampa.
The five-match series will begin on January 13 at the Gabba and will end on January 26 at the Adelaide Oval.