All systems Mo for Sri Lankan redemption

Moises Henriques has barely put a foot wrong in 2017 and Friday’s first KFC T20 International against Sri Lanka gives the Sydney Sixers captain a chance for a little redemption after a forgettable period in 2016 as well.

Henriques toured Sri Lanka with Australia’s Test, ODI and T20 squad last August-September, playing five matches across the three formats and returning scores of 4, 4, 6, 4, 1, for a sum total of 19 runs at 3.80.

The allrounder, who hammered a career-best 265 for the Blues in the Sheffield Shield just last week, said he left the tour painfully aware that changes needed to be made.

“After how I went in Sri Lanka, I knew I had to keep improving and getting better ? taking wickets, scoring runs and trying to win games for NSW,” Henriques reflected.

“It would be nice (to get some revenge), especially for me personally; I had a pretty bad time of it over there, didn’t score too many runs.

“So it’d be nice to cash in in Australia, in our own conditions, and hopefully put in a better performance.”

Despite Henriques’ own modest contributions, Australia bounced back from the 3-0 Test humbling to win the ODI series 4-1 and the T20I series 2-0.

George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell starred with the bat in those series, and with the Test players already in India, the national T20 team is missing a host of first-choice options, meaning the likes of 30-year-old Henriques will be required to step up and take on greater responsibility.

The right-hander found form at the back-end of the KFC Big Bash, making a brilliant 64 to lead the Sixers to a tie in the semi-final against the Heat, before playing the match-winning hand in the Super Over.

And despite those at-the-death heroics, Henriques says there’s much more to his game than closing out a contest.

“I wouldn’t tag myself as a finisher,” he said. “I just try to play to what the situation demands ? if I need to consolidate a little bit I can do that, if we need to accelerate I feel like I can do that as well.

“Hopefully there are enough things in the toolkit that can prepare me for most situations.”

Henriques, fit again to bowl after suffering a side strain earlier in the summer, drew praise from Heat captain and Black Caps legend Brendon McCullum, who forecast the coming of age of the allrounder.

“He’s played a lot of cricket now, he’s an experienced guy,” McCullum said. “With bat, ball and in the field he’s composed ? he understands what the game’s about.

“And he’s been through the mill a little bit as well; he’s been talked up a lot as an international player and he’s gone through a tough period.

“I think he’s come through the other side and he’s maturing as a cricketer.” (Courtesy?.cricket.com.au)