Locked and loaded: Finch provides injury update on key Australia players
Many question marks surrounded the make-up of Australia's final squad as they attempt to retain the T20 World Cup crown on home soil that they won in Dubai last year.
The upsurge in form of youngster Cameron Green, ongoing fitness concerns surrounding key all-rounders Mitch Marsh and Marcus Stoinis and a recent injury to veteran opener David Warner have all given selectors plenty to ponder, but the Aussies will enter the tournament - barring any future injury - with the same 15 players they announced at the start of August.
It means Green will have to wait at least another two years to feature at his first T20 World Cup, while Finch said he expects to have all his players fit and ready to go for their tournament opener against New Zealand in Sydney on October 22.
David Warner
Warner threw a late spanner in the works when he landed awkwardly while fielding during the second T20I between Australia and England in Canberra and a subsequent neck injury saw him sit out the third and final match of that series in the nation's capital two days later.
Finch thinks Warner will be fit for that clash against the Kiwis at the SCG, but said the experienced left-hander may sit out Australia’s final warm-up game against India in Brisbane on Monday.
"I think he (Warner) will definitely be right for New Zealand, but I am not sure about the warm-up game against India," Finch said at a press conference in Melbourne on Saturday.
"He was OK the day after he hit his head and then the following day his neck got really sore and stiff.”
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Finch said Warner had been in good spirits, despite the injury concern.
"He probably should have been in a neck brace with the way he was carrying on about it the other day, so we will wait and see what he is like,” Finch joked.
"If he is fit he will play, but if he is still a little bit sore we will err on the side of caution.
"When you have got experienced players who know what they need to do to be ready for a tournament you are not too concerned whether they play that game or not.”
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Mitch Marsh
Marsh was an integral part of Australia's successful T20 World Cup campaign last year, but has been battling an ongoing ankle complaint and hasn't bowled in a T20I match since June.
Finch said Marsh had been bowling well in the nets and he expects the talented 30-year-old to be able to contribute with the ball during the T20 World Cup.
"Mitch has been building up his bowling, he just hasn’t been at the intensity we need to go into a game that is required," Finch said.
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Marcus Stoinis
Stoinis was another one of Australia's heroes at last year's event, but he too has been battling injury since he picked up a side issue against New Zealand in early September.
The 33-year-old featured in all three of Australia's recent matches against England, with Finch revealing the right-armer didn't bowl in the final game of the series due to the quick turnaround in games.
"The reason he wasn’t available to bowl yesterday was prior injury history," Finch said.
"Every time he has tried to come back and bowl in back-to-back games coming off this same injury he has struggled and got a niggle on the back of it.
"So we went with the conservative route there."
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Finch said he does not expect it to be an issue during the T20 World Cup and Stoinis should be available with the ball during all five of Australia's Super 12 matches.
