Cameron Green: The Australian Cricket Promise Debuts

Cameron Green: The New Promise of Australian Cricket

The young all-rounder from Western Australia, 21-year-old Cameron Green, is set to debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His appearance is one of the most anticipated in recent times. Here we tell you more about him.

How has your career been so far?

In first-class cricket, his performance has been outstanding. Green has accumulated five centuries in 21 matches, including a career-high of 197 earlier this season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04. A match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019 demonstrated his potential with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 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 with 33 wickets, including 5 for 24 in his first-class debut against Tasmania, against whom he also achieved his best figures of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although he debuted in ODIs a couple of weeks ago, his participation in this format is limited, with only nine matches in List A and T20 formats. It is with the red (and pink) ball where he is really generating excitement.

Great Expectations

Greg Chappell has called him the “best since Ricky Ponting”. In June, Chappell selected him at number 6 in the test team.

“For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar,” said Chappell. “He’s a real prospect with the bat and ball, but I think his future lies as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron 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.”

Greg Chappell

The recent injury

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

Is it the all-terrain vehicle that Australia has dreamed of?

Maybe, but with some caution. He has had restrictions on his bowling load due to a stress fracture in his back that he suffered last year. This season he has not bowled more than eight overs in a day in match conditions. However, he has shown his 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 relaxed. “I think he’ll bowl a few more than that, 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. A few weeks ago it seemed unlikely that he would be part of the starting eleven at the beginning of the series, despite having been named in the expanded squad. However, injuries to Warner and Pucovksi have caused changes in the batting order, creating an opportunity in the number 6 position. This does not mean that Green does not deserve it. Due to his current form, he can be considered one of 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.