Cameron Green Eyes Sheffield Shield Return to Build Bowling Workload Ahead of Ashes

Australia allrounder Cameron Green has confirmed that he is likely to return to bowling in Sheffield Shield cricket ahead of the Ashes series, rather than in the limited-overs fixtures against India. Green, who has been recovering from back surgery since October last year, is building up his bowling workload and hopes red-ball cricket will provide the best platform for a return to full fitness.

The 26-year-old has featured as a specialist batter in Australia's recent Test matches, including the World Test Championship final and the three-Test tour of the Caribbean. He batted at No. 3 in all four matches, scoring 4, 0, 3, 15, 26, 52, 46, and 42, with selectors valuing his improvement and resilience in difficult conditions.

However, Green remains uncertain whether he will retain the No. 3 spot for the Ashes opener in Perth this November.

"You never know," Green said while speaking ahead of the second ODI against South Africa in Mackay. "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."

With Steven Smith and Travis Head locked in at No. 4 and No. 5 respectively, Green's return to bowling could impact the selection of other allrounders, including Beau Webster. Meanwhile, Australia's top-order composition remains fluid, with questions surrounding Sam Konstas' form and Marnus Labuschagne's recent struggles.

Green acknowledged the challenges batters faced during the Caribbean tour. “It was such tough wickets, especially for the batters… I don't think we'll be playing on many wickets quite like that,” he said.

Though Green has not bowled in recent ODIs or T20Is, he is optimistic about his progress.

"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," he said. "It's been a long road back."

Australia's next international fixture is a T20I series in New Zealand starting October 1, followed by three ODIs and five T20Is against India. But Green hinted he may prioritise Shield cricket with Western Australia instead of white-ball duties, in order to manage his return to bowling.

WA’s Sheffield Shield schedule includes matches against New South Wales (Oct 4), Tasmania (Oct 15), and South Australia (Oct 28), providing Green with an ideal opportunity to get overs under his belt before the Ashes begins on November 21.

"In the past, it's worked really well when I focused on Shield cricket," Green said. "Potentially get a few more overs over a few more days might be the best way to go about it."

Green followed a similar path last year, skipping a T20I series in New Zealand to play Shield cricket, which resulted in a century for WA and a career-best 174* in the first Test in Wellington.

In the meantime, Green and the Australian ODI team are looking to bounce back in Friday’s second ODI in Mackay, after being dismantled by Keshav Maharaj in the series opener.

“We didn’t want to debrief it too much,” Green said. “We know we’re a good team… I think we just had a reasonable off day, but there's plenty of one-day cricket coming up, so hopefully we can turn that around.”