The 21-year-old all-rounder, Cameron Green, from Western Australia, is set to make his debut for Australia at the Adelaide Oval. His anticipated first appearance has generated great excitement in the cricket world.
Outstanding Career
In first-class cricket, Green has demonstrated outstanding performance. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including an impressive 197, his personal best, achieved earlier this season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04.
A memorable match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019, where he proved his worth with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 runs not out, batting at numbers 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 figures of 6 for 30 in 2018.
His white-ball cricket career isn’t as prominent, although he debuted in ODIs a couple of weeks ago. However, this is due to a handful of matches: nine in List A and T20. It’s with the red (and pink) ball that he’s currently generating great enthusiasm.
Great Expectations
For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar. He is 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 have him bat at number 6 to start, but I think number 4 is his long-term position. The sooner he starts playing at this level, the sooner he will become the player he should be.
Greg Chappell
The recent injury
A concerning moment was 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. 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.
Is Australia’s Dream Off-Roader?
Perhaps, but with caution. This has nothing to do with talent, but with release restrictions 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 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 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 being 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. In fact, 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 wicket-keeper and four bowlers. However, recently 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, and Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns have said that he deserves to be selected just for his batting.
