Aaron Finch's message to Kolkata Knight Riders amid 'panic' over Cameron Green form slump
The Kolkata Knight Riders are beginning to "panic" over the form of star import Cameron Green, according to former Aussie opener Aaron Finch.
Three matches into his year's IPL, Green has scores of 18, 2, and 4, and has not bowled.
He was purchased for an eye-watering $4.2m at the IPL auction, making him the most expensive overseas player in the history of the IPL.
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He started the season with a score of 18 off 10 balls against the Mumbai Indians after Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane got the Knight Riders off to a flyer.
In the second match against the Sunrisers, he was run out for 2 - barbequed by teammate Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
Cameron Green has endured a tough start to the IPL. AP
Then in the third match against the Punjab Kings, Green was caught behind second ball off the bowling of countryman Xavier Bartlett.
Speaking on ESPN, Finch said "there's a bit of panic" inside KKR, but said the team needed to stick with him and solidify his spot in the order.
"One of those dismissals has been a run out, not a part of his fault," Finch said.
"Still, he's missed out twice. There's a bit of panic, he's not looking the same as the past. When he was at the top of the order for (Mumbai), he had totally different intent.
"That was in 2023 when he was fixed at No.3 and scored 452 runs in 16 innings at a strike rate of 160.28 and an average of 50.22. He was imposing at the crease. Now he looks tentative.
"Don't push him down. Push him either up the order, or give him a rest."
Cameron Green also had a tough home Ashes series. Getty
Green's form with the bat has been under the microscope for months. In the Ashes, he scored 171 runs from eight innings at 24.42 with a highest score of 45 in Brisbane. Even that average was bolstered somewhat by a 22-not-out in the fifth Test in Sydney.
With the ball, he took only 4-283 at 70.7 from 61.5 overs across the series.
But as a question mark continues to linger over Green's form, Finch said circumstances beyond his control aren't helping him, and pointed to the decision by KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane to bat first against the Kings.
The pitch remained covered for much of the 24 hours leading up to the match as the ground was soaked by rain. When the rain cleared enough for the match to start, it had plenty of moisture to help the seam bowlers.
KKR were 2-25 in the fourth over - Bartlett earlier had Finn Allen caught behind to bring Green to the crease - when the rain returned. The match was eventually abandoned.
"Winning the toss and electing to bat after the wicket's been under the covers for a day, you know there's been rain in the air, it makes absolutely no sense," Finch said.
"That's an alarm bell for me. It's not that they're two down for 25. It's the fact that 'we shouldn't be batting'. You're making the wrong decision even when you've got all the information.
"There's cloud cover around. You're expecting rain. They had three hours of rain. Obviously, somebody has told them at some point - 'it might rain later' - you might need to chase later. DLS works better for the team batting second a little better.
"You've got all that information, so I don't understand how you get to the decision."
