New Zealand players gave Aaron Finch a classy farewell gift as he walked out to the middle for his final ODI innings on Sunday by forming a guard of honour. The Australian white-ball specialist had announced his retirement on Saturday ahead of the final ODI match against the Kiwis. The opener, however, will continue to lead Australia in the T20I format.
The New Zealand team lined up for Finch and gave him a guard of honour ahead of the final match in Cairns, with captain Kane Williamson going up to him and showing his appreciation for the Australian captain. Cricket.com.au posted the video on their Twitter handle with the caption, “Classy stuff from the Black Caps as Aaron Finch makes his way to the middle.”
Here is the video
Classy stuff from the Black Caps as Aaron Finch makes his way to the middle #AUSvNZ pic.twitter.com/LMawJThq7t
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) September 11, 2022
Finch has received numerous well-wishes since announcing his ODI retirement. One tribute, however, stood out, that of India’s star batter, Virat Kohli. The Indian star said it was great to play against the Australian opener and alongside him in the Indian T20 League for Bangalore.
“Well done finchy. It was great to play against you all these years and with you as well at rcb. Enjoy the next phase of your life to the fullest,” said Kohli.
Finch has played more than 140 50-over matches for Australia and has scored more than 5400 runs in the format. The Australian opener also has 17 hundreds to his name, making him one of Australia’s most prolific century scorers in the format.
“It has been a fantastic ride with some incredible memories. I have been extremely fortunate to be a part of some brilliant one-day sides. Equally, I have been blessed by all those I have played with and the many people behind the scenes,” Finch said while announcing his retirement.
“It is time now to give a new leader the best possible opportunity to prepare for and win the next World Cup. I thank all of those who have helped and supported my journey to this point,” he added.
