Aaron Finch had a tough time with the bat during the recently held Big Bash League, scoring 179 runs at an average of 13.76 in 13 innings for Melbourne Renegades and Australia’s white-ball skipper has now been ignored by all eight franchises at the IPL 2021 auction.
Finch, who was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore last month, failed to attract any bidder as he entered into the auction with a base price of INR 1 crore.
Meanwhile, former Australia captain Michael Clarke has been left stunned by Finch’s snub.
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“Are the Australian selectors wrong in Aaron Finch being our Twenty20 captain or is every IPL franchise wrong?” Clarke said on Big Sports Breakfast on Friday (February 19).
“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.
“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.”
While Finch didn’t find a buyer, his teammate Glenn Maxwell was roped in by RCB for a whopping sum of INR 14.25 crore.
Commenting on Maxwell's lucrative deal, Clarke said T20 franchises continue to pay the former big bucks on his potential as opposed to his stats.
“If you’re Glenn Maxwell, you are waking up licking your lips this morning. What a pay day for him – there has been a bit of talk around Maxy and his performances in the IPL. They haven’t been as good as he would like, yet teams consistently pay good money for him,” Clarke remarked.
"I think it’s because when you do see the good in Maxy, he can win a game on his own. Bat, bowl and field – he does all three facets of the game. He plays spin pretty well. It’s what he can do that makes him so much money," he concluded.
