Australia all-rounder Cameron Green has confirmed that the Sheffield Shield will likely be his platform for building up his bowling as he aims to be in contention to bowl in the Ashes tour against England at home later in the year.
Green, who underwent back surgery in October last year, has not bowled in international cricket since then and has been playing as a specialist batter in both Tests and limited-overs formats since his return.
Speaking to the media ahead of the second ODI against South Africa, he revealed the likely plan for his return to bowling and managing workload.
“In the past, it worked really well when I focused on Shield cricket. So I think that potentially might be the way to go, especially with working my way back with bowling. Potentially get a few more overs, over a few more days might be the best way to go about it,” Green told reporters in Mackay.
Western Australia’s three Sheffield Shield games are scheduled against New South Wales (October 4), Tasmania (October 15), and South Australia (October 28) – before the Ashes opener on November 21 in Perth.
The 26-year-old said that his progress on the bowling front has been promising so far.
“I’m not quite certain on what match [I’ll return to bowling], but I’m feeling really good, in a really good spot. It’s exciting being back bowling at a reasonable intensity. It’s been a long road back,” he said.
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A fully fit Green would prove to be a huge asset in Australia’s bid to retain the urn against England in the ICC World Test Championship contest. He has featured as Australia’s No. 3 in their last four Tests, including the World Test Championship final loss and the Caribbean tour, but admitted uncertainty over whether he will retain that spot when the Ashes begin.
“You never know. I think there’s certainly a lot of guys that can fill that role. I’m really proud that I was able to do a role up there. But yeah, wait and see,” he said.
Reflecting on his stint in the Caribbean, Green suggested that the surfaces offered little for batters and were not indicative of what lies ahead in Australia.
The all-rounder was the third highest run getter of the series with his 184 runs across six innings coming on tricky pitches that favoured the bowlers.
“It was such tough wickets, especially for the batters, so to try and get out the series unscathed I think was a good effort,” said Green.
“There wasn’t much to take away from that. I think it was just trying to survive, really, and find a way to score some runs. Yeah, I don’t think we’ll be playing on many wickets quite like that,” he added.