9:53am Wednesday 8th July 2009
By Simon Mail
Steve Finn has backed Andrew Strauss to lead England to glory in The Ashes this summer.
The first Test gets underway in Cardiff in just over an over and the Watford fast bowler believes Middlesex team-mate Strauss is the perfect choice to fire the country to victory over Australia.
The Aussies have had an indifferent warm-up with an early exit in the World Twenty20 Cup followed by draws with Sussex and the England Lions. Finn feels England can take advantage of Australia’s problems and bring the Ashes home again.
The 20-year-old talent said: “The Ashes is a sporting spectacle and I really fancy England to wipe the floor with Australia. They have been emphatically knocked out of the Twenty20 Cup and England will be on a high. It would be brilliant to bring the Ashes home.
“England will be looking to use their pace bowling and take advantage of the English conditions. They have a very good squad and Andrew Strauss is a very level-headed leader.
“It’s brilliant to have someone like that on the team and with Andrew Strauss, England have the best leader for the job.
“He is mentally very strong and on his game. Even when he had a dip last year he responded with 177 against New Zealand. He has an astute tactical brain and is very level-headed.”
One of Australia’s dangermen is Phillip Hughes and Finn knows what he is capable of after the batsman spent a month with Middlesex earlier this season.
Hughes was in excellent form for the County Championship Two side, scoring 574 runs in five first-class innings. But Finn does not subscribe to the opinion that the Australian has a significant advantage for this summer after his brief spell in England.
“He is a very dangerous player because he offers something a bit different,” Finn explained. “He cuts the ball on the offside and is something of an enigma. He definitely has the potential to have an impact on the series but I’m sure England will have plans for him.
“He had a massive impact on the club but he played on flat wickets at the Oval, Lord’s and Southgate so the ball didn’t really do that much.
“It was nice and refreshing to see the way he reacted exactly the same whether he scored nothing or 195. He’s a brilliant player and I’m sure he will do well at the Ashes.”
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