christchurch [New Zealand]March 4 (ANI): Australia head coach Andrew MacDonald on Monday said all-rounder Cameron Green will play for Western Australia rather than white-ball international cricket to better prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home. He said his priority would be first-class matches. India at the end of the year.
Green made a big statement by scoring a knock of 174* against New Zealand in the first Test in Wellington, securing him fourth place in the Tests. However, before this match, he played in WA's Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania as he was rested during the T20I series against West Indies. Green smashed 103 runs in the match, scoring a landmark knock in Test cricket against their trans-Tasman rivals.
MacDonald told reporters on Monday that Green has become an all-format player, but his biggest challenge is switching and adjusting according to the needs of different formats. He said while white-ball cricket is important, the next stress point for Green is the home series against India at the end of the year.
McDonald said it was a big decision to remove players who clearly fit into the best-playing eleven.
“He's become an all-three format player and I thought his biggest challenge was going back and forth between formats,” McDonald said as quoted by cricket.com.au.
“Other players can transition (easier) from one-day international cricket to Test cricket, perhaps more experienced players who have done it over a period of time.”
“It's a big decision to take a player who has the potential to be in your best eleven out of international cricket, so I'm glad he accepted that when I spoke to him and it comes right back to him.”
“The next stress point will be next summer leading up to the Indian Test series against Pakistan in ODI and T20 cricket.”
“I would probably err on the side of preparing him with red ball. We know how good he is as a white ball player, so we would prioritize what next summer looks like. .”
“White-ball cricket is important, but so is the summer of Tests. So when he saw what he did (in Wellington), he probably came to us and said, 'Why don't you give us a couple of Shield games before the first Test? 'To India? ” he concluded.
Cameron has done well in his tests and has achieved first-class grades. In 27 Tests, he scored 1,347 runs in 41 innings with 2 centuries and 6 fifties at an average of 37.41 runs. He also took 33 wickets at an average of 35.36, including taking 5 wickets.
He is an all-rounder who averaged 48.63 runs in 60 first-class matches and scored 3,852 runs in 94 innings, scoring 11 centuries and 13 fifties. His highest score is 251. Also, at an average of around 33 he has taken 75 wickets and his best figures he is 6/30.
McDonald sees Green as a long-term player who can maintain the No. 4 spot in the Test.
“As we've seen in Shield cricket, we think his preferred position is number four and he could be a long-term option there. This is a big step towards that. The thing is, he's a quality player and the stats that everyone was looking at early in his (international) career probably didn't reflect the player we had in front of us. said McDonald.
Green got off to a good start as the No. 4 batter after opening pitcher David Warner retired in January, which forced Steve Smith to move up the order. He has hit 14, 8, 42 and 174* with this figure so far.
