The 21-year-old all-rounder from Western Australia, Cameron Green, is set to debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His appearance 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 scored 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 showed 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 took his best figures of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although he made his ODI debut a couple of weeks ago, he has only played a few 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 included him in the number 6 position in the Australian test team.
For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar. He is 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 uncommon 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.
Greg Chappell
The recent injury
The blow to the head from a Jasprit Bumrah delivery at the SCG was a worrying moment. Green was taken off the field with concussion, but tests ruled out any fractures. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage and it seems he will be able to comply with Cricket Australia’s protocols to be able to debut.
The all-terrain vehicle that Australia has always dreamed of?
Perhaps, but with some caution. This has nothing to do with his talent, but he has had restrictions on his spells 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 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.”
An unexpected debut?
In a way, yes. A few weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that he would be part of the XI at the start of the series, despite having been named in the extended squad. The preferred route was for Australia to maintain its traditional balance of six batsmen, a wicketkeeper and four bowlers. However, 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. This is not to say that Green doesn’t 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 for his batting alone.
