Cameron Green: Australia’s Star All-rounder Makes Test Debut

Cameron Green: The New Promise of Australian Cricket Debuts in Adelaide

The 21-year-old all-rounder, Cameron Green, originally from Western Australia, is ready to make his debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His arrival has generated great expectation, being one of the most anticipated in recent times.

A Promising Career

Green’s trajectory in first-class cricket is remarkable. He has achieved five centuries in 21 matches, including an impressive 197 runs, his personal best, earlier this season against New South Wales. Recently, he demonstrated his worth against the Indians, with a batting average of 55.04. In a match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019, Green shone with 87 and 121 runs not out, playing in positions 8 and 9. That was also the last match in which he bowled for a year. With the ball, he averages 21.72 runs for his 33 wickets, including an impressive 5 for 24 in his first-class debut against Tasmania, against whom he also obtained his best mark of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although his career in white-ball formats does not stand out as much, his ODI debut a few weeks ago has sparked interest. It is with the red and pink ball where he is really generating enthusiasm.

Great Expectations

Expectations for Green are high. Greg Chappell has described him as “the best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews. In June, there was speculation about a scenario where Australia would play both Test and T20I matches on the same day, and Chappell selected him directly at number 6 for the Test team.

“For me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket. He is a real prospect with the bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer good overs. Cameron is a batsman with exceptional talent. At 6 feet 7 inches, he could become something very special. I would put him at number 6 to start, but I think number 4 is his long-term position. The sooner he plays at this level, the sooner he will become the player he should be,” said Chappell.

Greg Chappell

The Scare of the Injury

A worrying moment was when Green was hit on the head by a delivery from Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG. He had to leave the field and was substituted due to a concussion, but tests ruled out fractures. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage, and it seems he will comply with Cricket Australia’s protocols to be able to debut.

The All-Terrain Vehicle Dreamed of by Australia?

With caution, Green is expected to fulfill that role. He has had restrictions on his release due to a stress fracture in his back suffered last year. He has worked on his action with WA bowling coach Matt Mason and has been limited to four-over spells. This season, he has not bowled more than eight overs in a match day. However, he has shown his ability to take wickets, including two in the second innings against the Indians at Drummoyne Oval. Tim Paine suggested that bowling restrictions could be relaxed. “I think he’ll bowl a few more, once you’re selected in a Test match you’re ready to play. That being said, we don’t expect him to bowl a huge amount of overs with the attack we have.”

An Early Debut?

In a way, yes. A few weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that he would be selected for the XI at the start of the series, despite having been included in the extended squad. However, injuries to Warner and Pucovksi have altered the plans, leading Australia to reorganize the batting order, creating an opportunity at number 6. This doesn’t mean that Green doesn’t deserve it; his current form easily places him among Australia’s top six batsmen, with Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns stating that he is worthy of selection based on his batting alone.