Cameron Green: The New Promise of Australian Cricket Ready to Debut
Western Australia’s young all-rounder, 21-year-old Cameron Green, is set for his debut with the Australian national team at the Adelaide Oval. His first appearance is one of the most anticipated in recent times. Let’s find out a little more about him.
Outstanding First-Class Cricket Career
In first-class cricket, Green has demonstrated outstanding performance. He has five centuries in 21 matches, including a maximum of 197 runs earlier this season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04. A match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019, where he scored 87 and 121 runs not out, demonstrated his potential with the bat, playing in positions 8 and 9. That was also the last match in which he bowled for a year.
With the ball, his average is 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 doesn’t stand out as much, he made his ODI debut a couple of weeks ago, but this is only in a handful of matches, nine in List A and T20.
It is with the red (and pink) ball that it is generating great expectation.
High Expectations Placed on Green
Greg Chappell has called him “the best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews. In June, a scenario was proposed where Australia would play both Tests and T20Is on the same day, and Chappell selected him at number 6 in the Test team.
“For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar,” Chappell stated. “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 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
Concern about the Recent Injury
There was a worrying moment when Green was hit on the head by a bouncer from Jasprit Bumrah at the SCG. He had to leave the field and was replaced due to concussion, in addition to undergoing scans that ruled out any fractures. Fortunately, the blow did not cause major damage (unlike Will Pucovski, Green has no history of concussion) and it seems that he will be able to comply with all Cricket Australia protocols to be able to debut.
The All-Terrain Vehicle That Australia Has Dreamed Of?
Perhaps, but with caution. This has nothing to do with talent, but with the release restrictions due to a stress fracture in his back that he suffered last year. He has been working on his action with WA bowling coach Matt Mason, and so far 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 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 little bit more, 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 Early Debut?
In a way, yes. A few weeks ago, it seemed unlikely that he would be included in the XI at the start of the series, despite being 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 were altered by the injuries of Warner and Pucovksi, which led Australia to reorganize the batting order (at least for one test) and created the opening at number 6. This doesn’t mean that Green doesn’t deserve it. Based on his 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 being selected based on his batting alone.
