Australia all-rounder Cameron Green is set to focus on red-ball cricket as he works toward returning to bowling ahead of the upcoming Ashes series against England.
Green has indicated that the Sheffield Shield will likely serve as the main platform for regaining his bowling form, rather than the upcoming ODI or T20I series against India. His goal is to be ready to contribute with the ball when Australia hosts England later this year.
The 26-year-old, who underwent back surgery in October last year, has not bowled in international cricket since and has been playing primarily as a specialist batter in both Tests and limited-overs formats.
Speaking to the media on Thursday before the second ODI against South Africa, Green outlined his plan for returning to bowling while managing his workload.
“In the past, focusing on Shield cricket worked really well for me,” Green said in Mackay.
“I think that could be the best approach for easing back into bowling—getting a few more overs over several days is probably the way to go.”
While the exact match for his bowling comeback remains undecided, Green described his progress so far as encouraging.
“I’m not entirely sure when I’ll start bowling again, but I’m feeling really good and confident. It’s exciting to be back at a proper intensity. It’s been a long journey,” he added.
If fully fit, Green could be a major asset for Australia in their bid to retain the Ashes. He has an impressive record against England, with 18 wickets in eight matches at an average of 24.44, well below his career average of 35.31.
Western Australia’s domestic schedule may play a key role in his comeback, with three Sheffield Shield matches lined up before the Ashes opener on November 21 in Perth: New South Wales (October 4), Tasmania (October 15), and South Australia (October 28).
Green has recently featured as Australia’s No.3 in the last four Tests, including the WTC Final and the Caribbean tour, but he admitted uncertainty over whether he will keep that batting position for the Ashes.
“You never know. There are certainly plenty of guys who can fill that spot. I’m proud I was able to take on that role, but we’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
Reflecting on his Caribbean stint, Green noted that the conditions were challenging for batters and unlikely to reflect what awaits in Australia.
He was the third-highest run-scorer for Australia in the series, accumulating 184 runs across six innings on difficult pitches favoring bowlers.
“The wickets were tough, especially for batters. The key was just to survive and find ways to score,” he said.
“There’s not much to take from that series except resilience; I doubt we’ll see pitches like that here.”
Turning to the ongoing ODI series, where Keshav Maharaj troubled Australia’s batting in Cairns, Green stressed the importance of moving on quickly from the heavy opening loss.
“Maharaj bowled beautifully, and a few of their batters played exceptionally well. We didn’t want to dwell on it too much. We know we’re a strong team and have had plenty of success recently,” Green said.
“There are areas to improve, but we just had an off day. There’s a lot more cricket ahead, so we’ll aim to bounce back.”
With South Africa leading the series 1-0, Australia will look to level the contest in Mackay on Friday ahead of the third and final ODI on Sunday.
