Cameron Green’s Confident Enough to Fill Any Role for Australia in T20 World Cup
Cameron Green, the Australian all-rounder, who finished the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a middle-order position, is optimistic that he might play a number of positions at the T20 World Cup 2024.
Although the all-rounder might not start for Australia, he has the ability to push Marcus Stoinis out of the starting lineup.
During RCB’s late charge into the playoffs, Green concluded IPL 2024 with scores of 37*, 1, 46, 32*, 38*, and 27 (the most recent last). Prior to the last match, he mostly batted at Nos. 4 to No. 6, having returned to the team to replace the absent Will Jacks at No. 3.
Green’s most significant T20 innings have historically come from either opening or at No. 3, the latter of which brought him his first T20 century in the 2023 Indian Premier League. However, his development at multiple positions, aided by RCB batting coach Neil McKenzie’s guidance, has boosted his confidence and given Australia some potentially significant options in the Caribbean.
“Think that’s the beauty of what I’ve been exposed to in the last few years, there’s never been a really consistent spot to really lock in but at the same time I’m pretty thankful for that,” Green told the press. “I feel like I can fill in at a variety of roles, and I believe that’s where I see myself in this tournament—perhaps covering for other players on the squad. It’s a respectable squad to join. I believe I have some confidence and know where to bat regardless of where I’m advised to play.
“You can play pretty proper cricket when you bat up [in] the top [order], with two fielders out at the beginning. It’s pretty different.” It might have taken me some time to figure out the best course of action [in the intermediate order]. Even so, you can still give yourself 10 balls to sort of get in; occasionally, though, inexperience makes it feel less than 10.
Marcus Stoinis might be replaced by Green in the starting lineup at the start of the competition, but Australia is willing to use eight batters if the situation calls for it. Another aspect of Green’s game where he learned to handle the pressure of a high-scoring IPL was bowling, which would become crucial to the side’s balance in that lineup. His final economy rate was less than nine.
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Australia has handled Green with extreme precision this year, following a difficult 2023 in which the impact of going directly from the Indian Premier League to the England Test tour was felt. After David Warner retired, Green was recalled against the West Indies after losing his spot in the Test team. The choice to play Sheffield Shield cricket instead of T20Is versus New Zealand was made by the selectors, and it paid off as he scored an incredible 174 not out in Wellington.
That was mostly motivated by the notion that Green would have a whole Indian Premier League to get ready for the Twenty20 World Cup, and while he has benefited by stints of red and white-ball cricket, switching between formats will be an important aspect of Green’s career going forward.
“I’ve definitely noticed [the difference], this is probably the most prepared I’ve been for some sort of tour,” he stated. “It’s very crazy that you constantly go from a Test trip to a T20, and from a T20 to a Test tour, but the beauty of this year’s IPL is that you actually had some wonderful practise before this.
Finding the right balance is key when trying to put one tournament ahead of others. They reasoned that it could be more advantageous to continue playing red-ball cricket for the summer after that T20 [series against New Zealand], but things will eventually change.”
