Cameron Green: The New Promise of Australian Cricket Debuts in Adelaide
The 21-year-old all-rounder, Cameron Green, from Western Australia, is ready to make his debut with the Australian national team at the Adelaide Oval. His first appearance is one of the most anticipated in recent times. Here are some details about him.
Highlighted Career
In first-class cricket, his performance has been outstanding. Green has five centuries in 21 matches, including a career-high of 197 runs earlier this season against New South Wales. His batting average is 55.04. In a match against Queensland at the Gabba in November 2019, he demonstrated his potential with the bat, scoring 87 and 121 runs not out, batting in positions 8 and 9.
With the ball, he has an average of 21.72 runs for his 33 wickets, including 5 for 24 in his first-class debut against Tasmania, against whom he also got his career-best of 6 for 30 in 2018. Although his one-day career is not as prominent, he made his ODI debut a couple of weeks ago, but has only played in a handful of matches: nine in List A and T20. It is with the red (and pink) ball that he is generating great expectation.
Great Expectations
You could say so. Greg Chappell has called him the “best since Ricky Ponting” in recent interviews. Chappell selected him at number 6 in the Test team, predicting a bright future for the player.
“For me, Cameron Green is the next Australian cricket superstar,” said Chappell. “He’s a real 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 Over the Recent Injury
The blow to the head from a Jasprit Bumrah drive at the SCG was a worrying moment. Green was taken off the field with concussion and underwent scans that ruled out any fractures. 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 it the All-Terrain Vehicle That Australia Has Dreamed Of?
Possibly, but with caution. This has nothing to do with his talent, but with the restrictions on his release 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 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 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 would be relaxed. “I think he’ll bowl a bit 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.”
Did His Debut Come Sooner Than Expected?
In a way, yes. Only 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. 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 has created an opening in the number 6 position. This is not to say 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, with Justin Langer and national selector Trevor Hohns stating that he is worthy of being selected just for his batting.
