The young all-rounder from Western Australia, 21-year-old Cameron Green, is set to debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His much-anticipated debut has generated great excitement in the cricket world. Let’s get to know a little more about this promising player.
Professional Career
In first-class cricket, Green has shown exceptional performance. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including a high score of 197 runs early in the 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 potential with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 runs not out, batting at 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, against whom he also achieved his best figures of 6 for 30 in 2018.
Although his white-ball cricket career doesn’t stand out as much, he debuted in ODIs a couple of weeks ago. However, this is limited to a handful of matches, nine in both List A and T20. It is with the red and pink ball that he is generating great enthusiasm.
Great Expectations
For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar. He is a true 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 bat 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.
Greg Chappell
Greg Chappell has called him “the best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews. In June, there was speculation that Australia would play both Test and T20I matches on the same day, and Chappell selected him at number 6 in the Test team.
Concern about Recent Injury
There was a moment of concern when he received a blow to the head from a Jasprit Bumrah delivery at the SCG. He had to leave the field and was substituted due to concussion. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage and it seems he will be able to comply with all Cricket Australia protocols to be able to debut.
The All-Terrain Vehicle Dreamed of by Australia?
Green has been limited in his bowling 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 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 suggested that the bowling restrictions will be eased. “I think he’ll bowl a few more than that, once you’re selected in a Test match, you’ll be right to play. That said, we don’t expect him to bowl a huge amount of overs with the attack we’ve got.”
An Early Debut?
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. The preferred route was for Australia to maintain its traditional balance of six batsmen, a wicket-keeper and four bowlers. However, plans have been altered recently due to 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. This is not to say that Green does not deserve it. In the current form, it could easily be said that he is among Australia’s top six batsmen, and both Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns have said that he is worthy of selection just for his batting.
