Cricket World Cup 2019: Australia captain Aaron Finch delighted by form of returning pair Steve Smith and David Warner

AARON FINCH is delighted with the form of Steve Smith and David Warner as his side prepare to board the plane for England.

The Australian skipper, 32, is preparing to mount a title defence this summer and saw his side claim a comfortable five-wicket victory in their final unofficial warm-up game against New Zealand XI.

The former Yorkshire and Surrey star is boosted by the return of ball-tampering pair Steve Smith and David Warner, who were named amongst the 15-man touring party last month.

Banned for a year for their part in the scandal which rocked the sport, Warner has already demonstrated his explosive hitting in this season's IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he formed an unlikely partnership with England's Jonny Bairstow.

Although Smith enjoyed a slightly less headline-grabbing stint with the Rajasthan Royals, he finally hit some form back in the Yellow and Gold as the hosts took apart the Kiwi attack in Brisbane.

The former Test skipper plundered an impressive 91* in the third match of the mini-series, following on from 89* in the previous game – and Finch was delighted with what he saw.

He said: "[Smith and Warner] are two of the best players in the world which is valuable to have at your disposal.

"The boys have been brilliant, all the work off the field with the team has been great. It's an interesting time, no doubt, when they are coming back in but still a great opportunity for everyone to learn off them as well.

"They have so much experience and what they bring to the group is really valuable."

Warner and Smith are two of the best players in the world.

Having spent three summers in England playing county cricket, Finch knows all about the changeable weather and unpredictable pitches that await Australia during the tournament.

But having two experienced heads such as Warner and Smith in the side to balance things out could prove invaluable as the Australian's look for a sixth world title.

Finch continued: "I think it's a big advantage [having the pair back], just as they know what it takes to win a World Cup and what it takes to manage your way through a campaign which can be difficult. You have to be at your best at the business end but you can't afford to let anything slip at the start.

"I think [the warm-up schedule in England] is a good opportunity to mix and match. There are a lot of questions [on the batting order] still to be answered but we are in a great place to do that."

Australia are the defending World Cup champions and will be looking to win the title for a record sixth time this summer.

They begin their defence against Afghanistan in Bristol on June 1.

Australia World Cup squad: Aaron Finch (capt), Jason Behrendorff, Alex Carey (wk), Nathan Coulter-Nile, Pat Cummins, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa.

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