Image Credit- CA
In order to play
Sheffield Shield cricket, Cameron Green may not be included in Australia’s
limited-overs series against Pakistan at the beginning of the following home
summer. This is because the selectors were rewarded for keeping him red-ball
focused prior to the Wellington Test, where he scored a match-winning 174 not
out.
Though eligible to play in the June T20 World Cup, Australia’s selectors chose
not to include Green in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand. When
Aaron Hardie and Marcus Stoinis were both forced to withdraw due to injuries,
they were not even tempted to call him in late.
Rather than sending
him home, they decided to let him play for Western Australia in a Shield match
against Tasmania at Bellerive Oval. He made an undefeated 103 runs to help WA
force a draw on the last day of play. After his incredible century on the first
day of play at the Basin Reserve, Green acknowledged his own preparation. On an
extremely difficult batting surface, he was the only player in the match to
score more than 71 and one of only three players to score more than 42.
After Friday’s start of the second Test in Christchurch, Australia won’t play
another Test until late November, when the Border-Gavaskar series begins at
home.
Prior to India’s
arrival, Australia will play three ODIs and three T20Is against Pakistan in
November after touring England for five ODIs and three T20Is in September.
By then, Green will probably be a mainstay in the ODI and T20I teams since
Australia looks to have numerous veteran players wrapping up their T20I careers
following the World Cup in June. Coach Andrew McDonald, however, stated that
while though the ODIs in particular will be a part of the build-up to the 2025
Champions Trophy, he was already considering Australia giving Green’s red-ball
training priority next summer.
“The next
stress point on that’s going to be next summer leading into the Indian Test
series,” McDonald said. “I think it’ll be a conversation where he’s
at. I’d like to probably err on the side of preparing him through red-ball. We
know how good a white-ball player he is. If you put a priority on what it looks
like next summer, the white-ball cricket is important but, geez, that Test
summer is important.
“I think with the results he’s had out there, he’ll probably come to us
and say can you give us a couple of Shield games before the first Test against
India.”