Although Australian all-rounder Cameron Green is unsure if he will continue to bat at number three in the forthcoming Ashes series, he has stated that Sheffield Shield cricket, not the ODI or T20I series against India that comes before the Test summer, is anticipated to be the venue for his return to bowling.
The 26-year-old, who is still recovering from back surgery from October of last year, has been at number three in each of Australia’s last four Test matches, the World Test Championship final, and the three-match series in the West Indies.
Green has had mediocre overall results at No. 3, but the Australian team strongly respected his recent contributions. In a low-scoring match where only four players scored more than 24 runs, his scores of 46 and 42 in Kingston stood out as the second and third-highest individual innings. He appeared to be progressively adjusting to the responsibilities of the crucial job based on his poise at the crease.
Green acknowledged he was still uncertain if he would be able to hold onto the No. 3 place for the first Ashes Test in Perth this November, ahead of the second ODI against South Africa in Mackay on Thursday, August 21. He admitted that selectors are still debating the balance of Australia’s top order before deciding on the batting lineup for the important series.
“I’m not really certain what the strategy will be. According to ESPNcricinfo, Green stated, “I’ve really enjoyed the opportunity at No. 3, but it’s all about what works best for the team heading into such an important summer.”
Green added that his bowling workload will be carefully controlled and that Sheffield Shield cricket is most likely to be where he returns. Before the Ashes, he will be able to progressively accumulate overs in a controlled setting thanks to this. Given the importance of the forthcoming home Ashes series against England in the new World Test Championship cycle, his dual function as a batting all-rounder is still crucial to Australia’s balance.
“You never know. Many men, in my opinion, are capable of performing that job. Being able to play a part up there makes me incredibly proud. However, “wait and see,” Green replied.
The balance of Australia’s top six might be drastically changed if Green doesn’t stay at number three. Beau Webster’s spot at No. 6 may be threatened by Steven Smith and Travis Head, who are locked in at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, particularly if Green returns to bowling and makes a stronger case as an all-rounder.
Although Usman Khawaja is anticipated to start, George Bailey, the chairman of selectors, has hinted that Jake Weatherald will compete with Sam Konstas for the position of second opener. Marnus Labuschagne, whose form heading into the Ashes is thought to be key, will also continue to be the focus.
Not much could be learnt from the Caribbean tour: Green
After a challenging series in the Caribbean, during which he struggled on trying pitches, Konstas’ position has already been under attack. Green hinted that the selectors would consider performances under more similar home conditions before making a choice, stating that the circumstances in that series made it challenging to make definitive judgements about players’ form.
“I believe it was a wonderful effort to try and escape the series unscathed since it was such difficult wickets, especially for the hitters. Not much could be learnt from that. Really, I believe it was merely an attempt to get by and score some runs. Indeed, Green stated, “I don’t think we’ll be playing on many wickets quite like that.”
For me, Sheffield cricket definitely paid off: Green
In the current three-match ODI series, he is playing as a specialist batsman and has not bowled in either of the recent T20I series against South Africa or the West Indies.
Australia’s schedule after the ODIs consists of three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) against New Zealand beginning on October 1 and three home ODIs against India from October 19 to 25. Before the Ashes start on November 21, there will be a five-match Twenty20 International match against India from October 29 to November 8.
Given that Western Australia will play three Sheffield Shield matches prior to the Ashes, Green is reportedly giving red-ball preparation first priority. The schedule includes matches against South Australia on October 28, Tasmania at Bellerive Oval on October 15, and New South Wales at the WACA Ground on October 4.
As he continues to increase his workload, Green should be available to bowl in the Ashes.
“When I concentrated on shield cricket in the past, it worked incredibly well. That might be the way to go, in my opinion, especially since I’m trying to get back into bowling. The best course of action could be to obtain a few more overs over a few more days, Green suggested.
“I’m feeling great and in a great place, but I’m not sure exactly which match [I’ll resume bowling] in. Returning to bowling at a respectable level of energy is thrilling. “The road back has been a long one,” he continued.
Green is not expected to play so close to the start of the Ashes, but Western Australia will meet Queensland in a fourth Sheffield Shield match on November 11. A similar strategy has helped him in the past, most notably in 2024 when he was rested from a T20I series in New Zealand to play red-ball cricket in Australia.
That choice paid off as he scored a career-high 174 not out in the opening Test match in Wellington after hitting a century for Western Australia against Tasmania in a Shield match that fell within Australia’s T20Is. Green is looking for form going into Friday’s second ODI against South Africa in Mackay, along with the rest of Australia’s batting lineup. The team’s difficulties were evident in the opening game in Cairns, where left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj removed five hitters, including Cameron Green.
“Maraj bowled wonderfully, of course, and some of their batsmen did a great job. We wanted to avoid giving too much of a debrief. I believe we are aware of our strength as a team. The past several months have been really successful for us. Therefore, delving too deeply into it is probably not the best course of action. There is undoubtedly room for improvement. Green continued, “I believe we just had a decent off day, but there is a lot of one-day cricket coming up, so hopefully we can turn that around.”
India
