BAN vs AUS: Matthew Wade to lead Australia in Bangladesh

Wicketkeeper-batter Matthew Wade will take over the leadership reins from Aaron Finch and will be the team’s designated captain in the five-match T20I series against Bangladesh starting on August 3. The announcement was made by Cricket Australia (CA) on Monday. Incumbent skipper Finch was ruled out of the tour due to a knee injury he sustained during the fifth T20I against West Indies.

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The right-hand batter thus left the bio-secure environment and returned to Australia to undergo surgery. Meanwhile, Wade, who was the team’s vice-captain in the shortest format has now got a chance to showcase his skills as a leader during the five matches against Bangladesh. The southpaw also captained the team in one of the T20I matches against India last year, when Finch was absent.

With ICC T20 World Cup 2021 taking place in the UAE, this is a good chance for Wade and Australia to build for the global event. With Bangladesh considered a good side in the shortest format, the visitors can try all the possible combinations. On the other hand, Wade has a fair bit of experience about captaincy as he has led Victoria, Tasmania, and Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League (BBL).

“As I said before, we have a really experienced group and I’m happy to be able to pull the reins from the finch … I’m not too worried at my age,” Wade said. Last month’s .au was told to tell com. 

Australia didn’t have a favourable result in the last T20 series against West Indies, as they lost 4-1. With the additional responsibility of leading Australia, Wade might thrive on it and score some crucial runs at the top for Australia.