“I will bid for him only after he confirms” – Ravichandran Ashwin on Cameron Green’s IPL prospects
Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concerns regarding Australian all-rounder Cameron Green’s commitment to the Indian Premier League (IPL) ahead of the mini-auction in Kochi on 23 December. He mentioned how some Australian players in the past have pulled out of the T20 extravaganza at the last minute.
The ace spinner said franchises must confirm whether he will be available for the entire IPL season ahead of the Ashes.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the Indian off-spinner said:
“This is the year of the Ashes for the Aussies. He (Cameron Green) is a once-in-a-generation type of player. He has an Ashes coming soon."
He added:
"And so, if Australia decides to manage his workload, or if has a niggle suddenly, then there is a possibility of him making a u-turn because Australian players have done that in the past. I will bid for him only after he confirms.”
He also spoke about how his height would make a difference in all three dimensions.
“Firstly, height. His angle of bowling. He is coming close to stumps, and also going wide of the crease and making full use of the angle. He has got height as well and he got extra bounce even in Indian conditions when we saw him during the India-Australia series.”
The veteran off-break bowler added:
“He got smashed at Mohali, but that can happen to anyone in IPL and T20. He has got a sharp bouncer. He can clock in excess of 140kph.”
Ashwin added:
“If he takes four steps, he can cover from the 30-yard circle to the boundary yard. In fact, in IPL grounds, even three steps will cover most grounds.”
Green first hogged the limelight after his quick-fire fifties during the Australia tour of India ahead of the T20 World Cup. He scored 55 off 35 balls and 52 off 21 deliveries to leave a lasting impression on the IPL franchises ahead of the auction.
The 23-year-old, however, failed to replicate his form in the ODI series vs West Indies and the T20 World Cup at home.
Ricky Ponting asking about the availability of Cameron Green in IPL to Australian coach.
https://t.co/I8ddReOAUo
“That’s my first concern” – Ravichandran Ashwin on Cameron Green's IPL future
Ravichandran Ashwin also alerted the franchises about Cameron Green by mentioning the experience of Aussie speedster Mitchell Starc. The latter opted to pull out of the tournament at the last minute during some previous editions of the tournament.
Players with base price of 2 crore:
Cameron Green, Lynn, Banton, Sam Curran, Jordan, Mills, Jamie Overton, Craig Overton, Adil Rashid, Salt, Stokes, Milne, Neesham, Williamson, Rossouw, Dussen, Mathews, Pooran, Holder, Coulter-Nile, Head.
(Source - Espn Cricinfo)
On this, he said:
“The main surprise for me has got to be Cameron Green putting his name in this year’s auctions. Is that good or bad or will he put on a u-turn like Mitchell Starc and decide to opt out at the last minute? That’s my first concern.”
The Aussie youngster might be the subject of a fierce bidding war at the auction. However, as Ashwin mentioned, Green is likely to be a key member of Australia's Ashes series team next year. This would make him wary of expending his energies in the IPL.