Published: Apr 09, 2016, 02:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Apr 09, 2016, 02:51 PM (IST)
After England‘s successful hunt in the ICC World T20 2016 as they went till the final of the tournament, Steven Finn has expressed his disappointment saying that even after being match-fit, he was ignored. According to the pacer, he had overcome the calf injury he sustained during the Ashes 2015 just before the ICC World T20 2016 but still was not picked in England’s squad for the tournament. Finn, who has adopted swing bowling quite well recently, is now eyeing a national team comeback with the upcoming Test series with Sri Lanka. Finn, who represents Middlesex, will face Warwickshire as the teams collide in the Specsavers County Championship at Lord’s Cricket Ground. FULL SCORECARD: England vs West Indies, Final Match
In an interview with eurosport.co.uk, Finn revealed, “I bowled my first flat out session after that minor calf injury the day that England played their first World T20 warm up match. I was fully fit. I was so frustrated I wasn’t there but the decision was made quite quickly – it was out of my hands. I told them I thought I’d be fit, but it didn’t happen. It was very frustrating and I was gutted for the guys but they were awesome. It is so disappointing not to get over the line in that final over.”
Talking about Ben Stokes’ last over, Finn said, “I feel for Ben (Stokes) – it happens, the guy at the other end just got the better of him but Ben is a strong enough bloke to come back from it. Trevor Bayliss has said he’s the life and soul of the team. He will always put his hand up when it’s hardest and try and give everything to the team.”
About England’s journey, he added, “I thought they deserved to win that game, they way they fought through it. They way they fought through the whole tournament. It was something freakish that happened – I think they will be a better team for it. Everyone is disappointed but proud at the same time that they got to the final. People after the first game and a half were writing them off, saying they were hopeless and they had no chance. And to prove all of those people wrong is a real achievement.”
Talking about his progress with swing bowling, the bowler said, “It took me 18 months to two years to perfect the outswingers, to feel confident enough to do in a game. When I tried it early last year I think that was the turning point of my summer. I took that into the Edgbaston Test but even at the top of my run of the first ball I was going to bowl in that Edgbaston Ashes Test – I was still questioning whether I should try and swing it or whether I should just run in and hit the pitch and let the ball do the work.”
“I’d worked so hard over the last couple of years to get that delivery right, why wouldn’t I want to try it? Injuries since then have been frustrating but I can take solace from the fact that I know I am in the hunt to be in the England team in all three formats.(Stuart) Broad and (James) Anderson are nailed-on and the rest of us are fighting it out for that third seamer spot for the first Test – so I have to perform in these first few Championship games,” he added.
