Cricket

Cricket   |   May 17, 2023

Shane Bond defends Cameron Green after his forgettable outing against Lucknow Super Giants 

In an intense battle between Krunal Pandya’s Lucknow Super Giants and the formidable Mumbai Indians, the 63rd game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 unfolded at the Ekana Sports City Stadium in Lucknow on Tuesday, May 16.

Lucknow Super Giants put up a commendable total of 177 runs on the board, thanks to stellar performances by Krunal Pandya and Marcus Stoinis. Mumbai Indians began their run chase with a promising start, with Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma displaying good form. However, Cameron Green and Tim David couldn’t seal the victory for Mumbai, resulting in a narrow defeat. Follow your favourite IPL team with attractive betting odds from Empire777.

Following the loss, concerns were raised about Cameron Green’s form. The Australian all-rounder was acquired by Mumbai Indians for a whopping INR 17.5 crore during the IPL 2023 auction, and such a high price tag naturally brings heightened expectations. Green has played 13 matches in the tournament so far, amassing 281 runs and claiming six wickets. Unfortunately, in the clash against Lucknow, Green could only manage an unbeaten four runs off six deliveries, failing to guide his team to victory.

Observing the mounting questions regarding Green’s form, Mumbai Indians’ bowling coach Shane Bond stepped forward to defend the Australian all-rounder.

“I don’t think it’s a case of being up to the mark. If you look over the last few games, and we have won the games, he’s just slid down to number seven. He hasn’t batted, and the same tonight – a handful of balls. He couldn’t get the runs, but he has still been an important part of our team,” Bond stated during the post-match press conference.

“He was at three at the top of the tournament and did a great job for us. As it’s turned out, we’ve just used other players and Surya [Suryakumar] in particular, who has pushed up to number three, which has pushed Greenie to the backend of the innings,” Bond added, highlighting the strategic decisions made by the team management that affected Green’s batting position. Get all the latest updates from IPL 2023 only on Empire777 Sports.