“IT’S your responsibility as a leader to protect the integrity of the game.”

Aaron Finch is the hot favourite to be named Australia’s one-day captain next month and the 31-year-old opener is aware the new captain and coach will be responsible for remedying the team’s much-maligned culture.

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A week before the ball tampering saga in Cape Town, Finch, the captain of Victoria along with coach Andrew McDonald received high praise for protecting the ‘spirit of the game.’

Having replaced specialist batsman Will Pucovski with all-rounder Dan Christian mid-match due to a concussion, the pair opted against employing Christian’s bowling services.

“Some things are more important than a win and a loss,” Finch told foxsports.com.au in India, where he is playing for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.

“It was all about what was best for the game. It was a close game and it was tempting to roll that dice but at the same time there is something inside that says it’s your responsibility as a leader to protect the integrity of the game.”

Aaron Finch: Some things are more important than a win or a loss. Source: AAP

Whoever is named Australia’s captain, Finch believes the new skipper has to form a strong bond with the new coach if the team is going to successfully be instilled with a new culture.

“I haven’t been named the captain so it’s hard for me to comment but whoever takes up the new leadership role has to work closely with the new coach.

“It is really hard to take the team down a route until you have that captain-coach relationship.”

Finch has captained the Melbourne Renegades since the second season of the Big Bash League. His biggest takeaway from the past five years in charge has been the need to remain level headed when things are not going his way.

“I was very emotional out in the field (when I started captaining). I rode the highs and lows with my heart on my sleeve.

“But over time I’ve learnt it is about controlling your emotions out on the field because the rest of the players feed off that. It is about trying to be as level as you can — accepting the opposition will play better than you at times.”

And on the flip side of the coin, accepting that at times your team won’t play as well as you would like them to. He knows that creating an environment where players know what is expected of them and do not fear failure is key.

“At the end of the day, just make sure everyone is comfortable with the roles that they have been asked to play. It important to realise that nobody makes mistakes deliberately.”

Glenn Maxwell could benefit from the captaincy of Aaron Finch. Source: News Corp Australia

One man that could benefit significantly if Finch is made skipper of the ODI team is his close friend Glenn Maxwell. The enigmatic all-rounder has had a mixed 12 months in the 50-over format and was even dropped from the team and told by former captain Steve Smith to ‘train smarter’.

Asked if he could unlock the secret to a consistent Maxwell, Finch said it was equally important the new coach understood Maxwell’s style to help him prosper in the limited overs game.

“It is a strange one with Maxi (Maxwell) because he is such a dynamic player that you have to be prepared to live with the failures that come with the high risk player,” he said.

“His performances have been a lot more consistent over the past 12-18 months and that is the credit to his process towards the first 10-15 balls in an innings.

“I almost see it as a huge motivator for the incoming coach to get the best out of Maxi because he is such an asset for Australian cricket.”

Finch has long believed we are nearing an era in which different coaches are required across the multiple formats. Asked if the time has arrived he said: “All I can say is there is so much demand on coaches with the amount of time they are on the road it has to head in that direction.

“In my opinion I guess the important thing is that the coach is fresh for every tour and he is still bubbling with ideas — it should never feel like a burden.”

Earlier this month Finch admitted that he would love to captain Australia in ODI cricket and possibly the World Cup in England next year, but for now the dynamic batsmen is simply focusing on regaining his touch for Punjab.

“It will be nice to captain Australia, but to be honest my primary focus is to turn around my form for the Kings XI.

“We have had such a good start to the season and I’m desperate to contribute.”