Cameron Green is set to bowl in a game for the first time in 12 months
Australian all-rounder Cameron Green has declared himself fully prepared for the upcoming Ashes series with no bowling restrictions and is confident in his ability to bat at No. 3. He expresses no apprehension about his first match bowling return in 12 months.
Green`s Bowling Comeback
Cameron Green has confirmed that he will face no bowling restrictions by the time the Ashes series begins. He is also ready to embrace the challenge of batting at number three as an all-rounder.
Green has not bowled in a match since undergoing back surgery last October, following his fifth stress fracture. This is set to change this weekend as he makes his return to bowling in Western Australia`s Sheffield Shield opener against New South Wales at the WACA ground.
For this particular match, Green`s bowling will be limited to eight overs, with Western Australia captain Sam Whiteman managing his workload. However, he plans to steadily increase his overs in subsequent Shield matches and One-Day Internationals for Australia.
In total, Green anticipates playing three Shield matches and Australia`s ODI series against India before the Ashes commences on November 21st at Perth`s Optus Stadium.
Green on His Recovery and Readiness
“It`s been a long 12 months, but I`m feeling really good,” Green stated on Friday, adding that he felt no apprehension about his bowling comeback. “My body is in a good place. It`s been a truly effective rehabilitation journey. I feel stronger, fitter, and my action feels right.”
“It will be eight overs for the Shield game, just a gradual build-up. There should be no restrictions for the first Test. That`s essentially been the entire plan for the past year.”
“That`s why the build-up has been so slow – to ensure I`m peaking by the time the Ashes arrives.”
Batting Position Strategy
Green is slated to bat at number 4 for Western Australia in their Shield opener, despite currently holding the Test No. 3 position, where he has featured in Australia`s last four Tests. While his average across those matches was 23.50, his scores of 52, 26, 42, and 46 in challenging batting conditions in the Caribbean were deemed more valuable given the game context.
Australian selectors have emphasized giving states the flexibility to use Test players in any batting position required, even if it differs from their Test team role. Western Australia prefers to keep Jayden Goodwin at No. 3 and bat Green at No. 4, considering his impressive average of 67.09 from 26 Shield innings in that position for WA, including five centuries and six fifties. He also boasts an average of 53.60 in six Test innings at No. 4, highlighted by his career-best 174 not out against New Zealand last year.
Nevertheless, there remains a possibility that Green will retain his No. 3 spot in the Ashes, despite lingering questions about his capacity to manage the dual demands of batting high in the order and bowling crucial overs.
However, with fellow all-rounder Beau Webster also in the Test squad, Green is confident in his ability to perform at first drop.
“Shane Watson used to open the batting and bowl,” Green recalled. “People probably don`t realize how challenging that was. Spending so much time in the field bowling, and then being expected to go out and bat for the last 10 overs of the day, for example, is incredibly demanding.”
“But I believe I`m in a somewhat different situation. Let`s say I`m batting higher up, and Beau is batting at six, for instance – he might shoulder more of the bowling load.”
Other Ashes Openers in Contention
Rising star Sam Konstas will be a key part of a strong New South Wales lineup for the upcoming WACA match. The initial rounds of the Shield season offer a significant opportunity for the 20-year-old to make his case for an opening batsman spot in the Ashes.
Konstas experienced difficulties during the 3-0 Test series victory in the West Indies but has since shown strong form for Australia A against India A in India.
Other contenders vying for an opening slot alongside Usman Khawaja include Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan McSweeney, Jake Weatherald, Marcus Harris, Josh Inglis, Campbell Kellaway, Kurtis Patterson, Matt Renshaw, and Cameron Bancroft.
