Australian stars Aaron Finch, Steve Smith on track to recover for ICC T20 World Cup 2021

With the high-voltage T20 World Cup 2021 being just a couple of months away, Australian stars Steve Smith and Aaron Finch are racing against time to get fit for the global event. The two batters have been cornerstones of the Aussie line-up for the past few years and their absence could really dent Australia’s chances of lifting the elusive title. Fortunately, however, both Smith and Finch are on track to regain full fitness ahead of the crucial tournament.

For the unversed, Smith’s elbow injury flared up earlier this year and deteriorated even further during the now-postponed Indian Premier League (IPL) earlier this year. Subsequently, he had to pull out of Australia’s tours of West Indies and Bangladesh. Last month, Smith asserted that he would prioritize the upcoming Ashes over the T20 World Cup. However, the right-handed batter has been recovering rapidly and is even batting in the nets.

As per Cricket.com.au, Smith is set to be available for the resumption of the IPL in the UAE next month. Speaking on Finch, Australia’s limited-overs captain sustained a knee injury during the T20I series against West Indies last month. Like Smith, his participation in the global tournament is also under dark clouds. However, the veteran opener is confident of featuring in the World Cup.

The surgery went as well and I’m walking around with no pain: Aaron Finch

“I’m confident of that (being fit for the World Cup). I think that will help me. The surgery went as well as it could have and I’m walking around with no pain, which is the most important thing at this stage,” Finch was quoted as per saying by Cricket.com.au.

Finch is even optimistic about Smith getting fit for the gala competition in UAE and Oman. “It seems to be going really well. I know that he’s been building up his batting time over the last couple of weeks – I know that would have been difficult to have a time limit on his net times,” the 34-year-old asserted.

Meanwhile, Australia have endured a tough time in T20Is lately. They suffered back-to-back series defeats against West Indies and Bangladesh. Hence, it would be interesting to see whether they can bounce back in the global event or not.