Western Australia’s young all-rounder, 21-year-old Cameron Green, is set to debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His debut is one of the most anticipated in recent times, here’s a little about him.
Highlighted Career
In first-class cricket, Green has demonstrated outstanding performance. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including a maximum of 197 runs earlier this season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04. In November 2019, in a match against Queensland at the Gabba, he demonstrated his worth with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 runs not out, batting 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 5 for 24 in his first-class debut against Tasmania, a team against which he also achieved his best mark of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although he doesn’t stand out as much in the white ball format, he made his ODI debut a couple of weeks ago, but this is in a handful of matches, nine in List A and T20. It is with the red (and pink) ball that he is generating great expectation.
Great Expectations
Greg Chappell has called him the “best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews. In June, Chappell selected him at number 6 in the Test team. “For me, Cameron Green is the next superstar of Australian cricket,” he stated. “He is a true promise with the bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Green is a batsman with uncommon talent. At 6 feet 7 inches, he could become something very special. I would put him to bat 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.”
Fright over recent injury
The moment seemed concerning when he was hit on the head by a Jasprit Bumrah delivery at the SCG. He immediately left the field and was substituted from the match due to concussion, in addition to undergoing tests that ruled out any fractures. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage (unlike Will Pucovski, Green has no history of concussions) and it seems that he will be able to comply with all Cricket Australia protocols to be able to debut.
The all-terrain vehicle that Australia has dreamed of?
Perhaps, but with caution. This has nothing to do with talent, but has had restricted release loads due to a stress fracture in his back that he suffered last year. He has worked on his action with WA bowling coach Matt Mason and has so far been limited to four-over spells. This season he has not bowled more than eight overs in a day in match conditions. However, he has shown the ability to take wickets: he claimed two in the second innings against the Indians at Drummoyne Oval and produced a beauty to dismiss Shubman Gill before his injury at the SCG.
Tim Paine also suggested that the bowling restrictions will be loosened. “I think he’ll bowl a few more, once you’re selected in a test match, you’re ready to play. That said, we don’t expect him to bowl a huge amount of overs with the attack we have.”
Did your debut come sooner than expected?
In a way, yes. In fact, a few weeks ago it seemed unlikely that he would enter the XI at the start of the series despite having been named in the expanded squad. The favored route was for Australia to maintain its traditional balance of six batsmen, a wicket keeper and four bowlers. However, recently the plans have been altered by the injuries of Warner and Pucovksi, which has led Australia to reorganize the batting order (at least for one test) and that has created the opening at number 6. That is not to say that Green does not deserve it. In his current form, it could easily be said that he is among Australia’s top six batsmen, with Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns saying that he is worthy of being selected just for his batting.
