Australian news – Cameron Green given long-term backing for Test role by coach Andrew McDonald

Green averaged 24.42 with the bat and 70.75 with the ball against England, a run that included his wild dismissal at the Gabba when he bounced back to Brydon Carse, two poor shots in Adelaide, and ran himself out at the MCG.

After 37 Tests since his debut in 2020, Green has a batting average of 32.75 with two centuries and a bowling return of 38.94, despite facing a long spell out of the game following back surgery at the end of 2024. He has been overlooked for the 2023-24 home summer, when the previous end of the Marshall fell away versatile place.

Green has a first-class batting average of 45.52, rising to 53.38 in the Sheffield Shield, where he scored a century for Western Australia in the final match of the season.

When asked on SEN radio if there was a determination to keep picking Green, McDonald said: “I think the answer to that is yes. I have to talk to the selectors about that, there are a few others on the panel. But if you looked at the last team, let’s just take it, Usman (Khawaja) retired, and he finished the position at 5, but he left the position at 5. you have Webster and Green who could possibly be in the same team play, we have to see it that way, so it gives us incredible flexibility.

“But I think he’s (Green) good enough. Anyone averaging it at Shield level suggests he’s ahead of the pack and it’s only a matter of time before it comes to a situation where he’s performing for Australia.

“I think he has some things to work on around his game, but it’s no different than anybody else.”

The duo played together in four consecutive Tests against South Africa (in the WTC final) and West Indies last year, while Green was unable to bowl and the no. 3 position, but Webster lost his spot for the start of the Ashes despite consistently returning to that mark.

McDonald admitted that Green’s terse exchange with a journalist in Sydney a few weeks ago was “very different to Cameron Green”.

He added that Green, who is currently in the IPL with Kolkata Knight Riders, is coping with the challenges of being a three-format player, but also noted how some of his best Test performances – especially with the bat – have come away from home, where he averages 36.69 compared to 28.96 in Australia.

“I think there’s a lens in Australia that’s slightly biased towards what he’s done on home shores,” McDonald said. “So it’s a challenge for him. I think he’s good enough. We’ll see the journey with him.

“We talk about Shield runs, and he goes back to Shield cricket and immediately gets 100. He averages 50 plus in Shield cricket, where everyone else averages 35. So, for me, it’s only a matter of time before it connects to Test cricket.

“There’s a lot of expectation within the IPL, and there’s a lot of expectation from anyone around who makes an Australian team. You only have to look at a short time ago: Mitch Marsh’s journey, and Shane Watson, and even Andrew Symonds at the start of his career.

“It’s not unfair, but there’s an expectation around everyone that they contribute in a certain way. It’s almost like they want them to average 45 with the bat and average less than 30 with the ball. And there’s been very few who do that.

“I’m sure his career will trend upwards. We know he’s good enough. He just has to balance all those expectations, and especially playing all three formats, which is a big challenge for any cricketer, let alone a player still learning.”

Australia’s next batch of central men’s signings will be announced on Wednesday with a strong focus on Test cricket expected, particularly around fast bowlers, due to the heavy schedule from August.