Pakistan vs Australia: Aaron Finch to lead the 14-man T20I squad

Australia opening batsman Aaron Finch has been named the captain of the T20I side which will play Pakistan in a three-match T20I series. However, the spinner Fawad Ahmed has been snubbed by the selectors and will have to wait for his opportunity to once again represent his nation at the international stage.

Meanwhile, the explosive opener Chris Lynn has returned from a shoulder injury and has been picked in the T20I squad based on his form in the ongoing One-Day Cup. Playing for Queensland, Lynn smashed 437 runs in six innings, averaging just over 87. The experienced Nathan Coulter-Nile also returns to the side after a series of injuries.

The other big names who have made the cut are Glenn Maxwell, who was earlier ignored for the Tests. The off-spinner Nathan Lyon could go on to play his first T20I since January 2016 even as the coach Justin Langer was pleased with the captaincy appointment and went on to laud Finch for what he offers to the team.

Finch shows genuine care for his teammates

“Aaron has already captained Australia in the recent T20s we played in Zimbabwe, and I’ve been extremely impressed with his impact on the Test squad over here in the UAE. We know he’s an exceptional player, and he’s arguably the most in-form T20 player in the world at the moment,” he said according to Cricbuzz.

Ben McDermott has earned his maiden call-up to the national side while D’Arcy Short has managed to retain his place after a record-breaking 257-run knock for his state team. Interestingly, like the Test team, the selectors have appointed two vice-captains in Mitchell Marsh and Alex Carey.

“As we outlined when he was selected as joint Test vice-captain last week, Mitch has experience captaining Australia A and WA, and he’s an extremely popular member of the team. He’s a very talented and humble young man who leads through his actions and shows genuine care for his teammates,” Langer added.

Australia T20 Squad: Aaron Finch (c), Mitch Marsh (vc), Alex Carey (vc), Ashton Agar, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Lynn, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Ben McDermott, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Mitchell Starc, Andrew Tye, Adam Zampa.

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