"That’s got to hurt"- Michael Clarke can't believe Aaron Finch went unsold at IPL auction
Michael Clarke can't believe Australia's T20I captain Aaron Finch didn't find a suitor at the IPL 2021 auction.
Finch was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore after last season but was expected to be bought by one of the eight sides.
No franchise showed interest in Aaron Finch at the auction, however, and the Australian opener went unsold. He was available for his base price of INR 2 crore.
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke backed the opener and said he is still one of the world's best top-order batsmen.
"I cannot believe Finchy hasn’t been picked up. Even for Finchy, that’s got to hurt as the Australian T20 captain. I think he’s still, definitely at the top of the order, one of the best in the world," Clarke said on Sky Sports’ Big Sports Breakfast.
Clarke said either the Australian selectors are wrong or all the franchises have made a mistake.
"Are the Australian selectors wrong in Aaron Finch being our Twenty20 captain, or is every IPL franchise wrong? I can’t believe this. The Australian Twenty20 captain has not been bought. Someone is wrong. In no sport on the planet can you captain Australia and miss out on a tournament with a truckload of teams. Don’t tell me Aaron Finch is not good enough to be a part of one of those IPL teams," Clarke added.
Aaron Finch has represented as many as eight teams in the IPL. However, his recent slump in form must have been a big worry for potential suitors.
Aaron Finch's performance in the last IPL and BBL
Playing for the RCB in 2020, Aaron Finch scored 268 runs in 12 appearances at an average of 22.33. His strike rate of 111.20 was also not good enough, given the standards and demands of modern-day cricket.
Aaron Finch's IPL performance wasn't a one-off. The Australian had a disastrous BBL 10 where his side the Melbourne Renegades finished atttom of the points table.
The 34-year-old averaged a meagre 13.77 and scored 179 runs in 13 games. His strike read a disappointing 113.29.
Finch acknowledged his poor performance, saying he had an 'absolute shocker' with the bat.