Australia 'very hopeful' Green could play World Test Championship final as a batter
The allrounder underwent back surgery in October and was ruled out of the entire home season
AAP
09-Jan-2025
Cameron Green may first return to the Australia side as a batter • Getty Images
Australia hope to have Cameron Green back available for the World Test Championship final, while preparing for him to return as a batter only.
Green posted a video of himself running on social media on Wednesday, almost three months after undergoing season-ending surgery on his back.
Chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Thursday he was "very hopeful" Green would be available to play at Lord's against South Africa.
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Green is due to undergo further post-operation scans next month and is expected to be back batting in May. He will have to wait longer to bowl, potentially after Australia's three-Test tour of West Indies in June and July.
Green's return adds further questions to Mitchell Marsh's chances of extending his Test career, after he was left out of Australia's 16-man squad for Sri Lanka.
While Beau Webster retained his spot after an impressive debut in Sydney, Marsh will be left to wonder when his next Test will come at age 33.
But Bailey suggested there was still potential for Marsh to return to the team in next summer's Ashes, after his impressive return to the team against England in 2023.
"I don't necessarily see it as the end of the road for him," Bailey said. "I think Mitch at his best and with a longer-term view of potentially what the Ashes may look like and what England may throw at us there.
"He's got a skill set that suits there, not taking away from the fact that at some stage clearly we're going to have the return of Cameron Green as well into the team. But unlike some, I'm probably not as glass half empty around where that leaves Mitch."
Webster's selection comes after he hit 57 and an unbeaten 39 in Sydney, but his ability to shoulder a heavy workload with the ball could also be crucial in Asia.
He also bowled offspin for the majority of his career before turning to medium pace during Covid, but Bailey said it was unlikely his tweakers would be called upon in Sri Lanka.
Instead, Travis Head can provide support to Australia's spinners Matt Kuhnemann and Todd Murphy, who could both feature as frontline spinners in the XI alongside Nathan Lyon.
"[Webster's spin] probably wasn't something that came up as a factor in selection," Bailey said."I think we've got plenty of spin options there. It's a nice fourth or fifth bow for Beau to have up his sleeve, but I don't necessarily think that we'll be heading down that path."