Michael Clarke 'cannot believe' Australia star was overlooked at IPL auction

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke says he ‘cannot believe’ Aaron Finch went unsold at the auction for the 2021 Indian Premier League.

Finch has been one of the most consistent openers in T20 cricket over the past decade, scoring more than 2,000 runs in the format for Australia and almost 10,000 runs in the domestic game, including eight centuries.

The 34-year-old was released by Royal Challengers Bangalore after IPL 2020 and did not attract any bids at the auction for this year’s tournament.

‘I cannot believe Finchy hasn’t been picked up,’ Clarke told Sky Sports’ Big Sports Breakfast show. ‘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.

‘Are the Australian selectors wrong to select Aaron Finch as 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.

‘You’re not telling me Aaron Finch is not good enough to be a part of one of those IPL teams.’

Finch, meanwhile, said being overlooked at the auction was ‘not unexpected’ and insists having some time at home will not be ‘the worst thing’.

Barring any mishaps, the veteran opener will captain Australia at the T20 World Cup at the end of 2021.

‘It would have been nice to be playing again,’ Finch said. ‘It’s a wonderful competition to be a part of but it wasn’t unexpected that I wasn’t picked up, to be honest.

‘I’d prefer to be playing cricket, but a little bit of time at home won’t be the worst thing.’

While Finch went unsold, his Australian compatriots Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Riley Meredith, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Moises Henriques, Steve Smith, Dan Christian and Ben Cutting were all picked up ahead of the tournament, which starts in April.

South Africa all-rounder Chris Morris was the most expensive signing, with his £1.6million move to Rajasthan Royals breaking the all-time IPL auction record.

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