Steven Finn aiming to channel frustrations against Sri Lanka this summer

By Rory O'Callaghan

Image: Steven Finn says he is ready to channel his frustrations against Sri Lanka this summer

Steven Finn says he is aiming to use his frustrations at missing the World T20 in India as motivation when England face Sri Lanka and Pakistan later this summer.

Finn was ruled out of the limited-overs tournament in India through injury and was forced to watch from the side-lines as his England team mates went on to reach the final.

The 27 year-old voiced his frustrations at the time, believing that his omission by England selectors had come prematurely.

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However, the Middlesex bowler now regrets criticising the selectors' decision to leave him out of the tournament.

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"Trevor [Bayliss] sent me an email and said to use the frustration as motivation to take wickets in the summer," Finn said.

Image: Finn has struggled for fitness this year but has been included in England's squad to face Sri Lanka

"I think that was the perfect response to it because you can channel your frustration into the wrong avenues and it can affect you the wrong way.

"If it's used in the right manner it can be a positive thing as well.

"It wasn't as big an issue as it was made out to be. I missed the World Cup because I was injured, I was disappointed which got portrayed in that interview I suppose in a bit of the wrong words.

"I was wrong, I accepted that and spoke to the people affected and everything is fine now.

Image: England face Sri Lanka in a three-match Test series starting next Thursday

"I spoke to the medical people, selectors, people who made the decision. It's gone, it's been and done now."

Finn was named in England's 13-man squad to face Sri Lanka at Headingley next Thursday, in what is the first of three scheduled Test matches against Angelo Mathews side.  

The Middlesex bowler is likely to start, despite competition from Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball, and Finn says he hoping to find some consistency against the Sri Lankans this summer.

"I've bowled some good spells and some not great spells this summer," Finn said.

"These first few weeks it's been different getting back into competitive cricket having not played a competitive game since January.

"You have to get your head on again and get into the fight in a competitive game.

"It took a while to find my feet but there have certainly been spells this summer that make me believe I can have a good summer ahead."

Image: England coach Trevor Bayliss told Finn to use his frustrations this summer

A new points system could be introduced for England's series against Sri Lanka, with different points awarded for Test matches, one-day internationals and T20 games.

The proposed initiative has been criticised by some, including former England Test captain Michael Vaughan, but Finn believes the points system could increase interest in the sport.

Image: Finn faces competition for places from Nottinghamshire's Jake Ball

"I think as long as it doesn't devalue each individual format I think it's a very good thing," Finn said.

"I don't think it does devalue it. I think anything that can galvanise people to be more interested across a whole summer is important because we are struggling with participation as a sport.

"This multi-format trophy will mean there are less dead games and hopefully more people interested, more crowd, more viewing figures. So it can only be a good thing."

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