Image Credit- Cricket Australia
As Australia’s selectors continue to consider their
options to replace the retiring David Warner for the West Indies series
beginning in mid-January, former all-rounder Shane Watson feels that Cameron
Green has all the tools to succeed as a Test opener and says prior experience
at the top of the order is not required.
In an interview with SEN back in November, coach and
selector Andrew McDonald first mentioned the possibility of Green replacing
Warner. However, at that time, he also suggested that the order could be
changed, with Marnus Labuschagne moving up to open and Green falling into the
middle order. He mentioned some successful Australian Test openers who began
their careers lower on the order, like Watson and Simon Katich.
Although Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh have both
expressed their preference to stay where they are, Usman Khawaja, who has
emerged as one of the most successful Test openers in history after beginning
his career in a variety of middle-order positions, suggested Labuschagne should
stay at No. 3. This has raised the possibility of Green opening the batting.
“There’s no question in my mind he can
[open],” Watson told ESPNcricinfo. “Australia needs to get Cameron
Green into the team and the opportunity that you’ve got right now is for him to
open. They’ll just have to manage his bowling, for sure, like with my bowling
when I was opening the batting. But he absolutely has got the skill, the
run-scoring ability and the understanding to be able to make the most of being
an opening batter for sure. It might take him a game or two just to be able to
work out exactly what his game plan is. But he’s definitely got the game and
the mentality to make the most of it.”
Given that Green has never batted higher than No. 6 in
his 36 Test innings and has never opened in first-class cricket (though he has
opened in T20Is for Australia), choosing him to open would be a wild card. But
with the middle order fixed, it may also be the least disruptive way for the
selectors to bring him into the Test team.
“If you’re scoring runs even slightly lower down
the order, you’re facing new balls at times whether you come in early or facing
a second new ball, so you’re very well equipped to be able to deal with a brand
new ball opening the batting,” Watson said. “We have seen it a number
of times. Uzzy and Simon Katich are great examples.
“It just comes down to what the game plan is and
then having the right mindset to be able to capitalise on the technical skills
that you do have. I certainly didn’t serve an apprenticeship in Shield cricket
opening the batting but it suited me down to the ground when I got the
opportunity to do it Test cricket, just with my technique but also with my
mindset that was created because of it.”