Cameron Green: The New Australian Cricket Promise Ready for Debut
The 21-year-old all-rounder, Cameron Green, from Western Australia, is ready to debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His much-anticipated debut has generated great expectation in the cricket world.
A Promising Career
In first-class cricket, Green has shown exceptional performance. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including an impressive 197, his personal best, earlier in the season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04. In a match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019, Green demonstrated his potential with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 not out, batting in positions 8 and 9. This 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, a team against which he also achieved his best figures of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although his career in the white-ball format does not stand out as much, he already debuted in ODIs a couple of weeks ago, in just nine List A and T20 matches. However, it is with the red and pink ball where Green is generating the most enthusiasm.
Great Expectations
Former player Greg Chappell has called him “the best since Ricky Ponting.” In June, Chappell selected him in the number 6 position for the Test team.
“For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar,” Chappell said. “He’s a genuine prospect with the bat and ball, but I think his future is as a batsman who can offer some quality overs. Cameron is a batsman with exceptional 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 Concern About the Injury
A worrying moment was when Green received a blow to the head from a Jasprit Bumrah delivery at the SCG. He had to leave the field and was substituted for concussion, but scans ruled out any fractures. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage, and it seems he will be able to pass all of Cricket Australia’s protocols to be able to debut.
The Ideal All-Terrain Vehicle for Australia?
With caution, he could be. Green has had restrictions on his bowling load 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 day in match conditions. However, he has shown his wicket-taking ability: 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 suggested that the bowling restrictions will be relaxed. “I think he’ll bowl a few more, once you’re selected for 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.”
An Early Debut?
In a way, yes. 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 preferred route was for Australia to maintain its traditional balance of six batsmen, a wicket-keeper and four bowlers. However, recently, plans have been altered due to the injuries of Warner and Pucovksi, which has led Australia to reorganize the batting order and has created an opportunity in the number 6 position. This does not mean that Green does not deserve it. In his current form, it could easily be said that he is among Australia’s top six batsmen, and Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns have said that he is worthy of being selected just for his batting.
