Green, Konstas, and Marnus all in focus ahead of WTC selection as Australia keeping all their options open.
Green, Konstas, and Marnus amid Australia’s WTC final selection debates.
Due to his unstoppable county cricket record, Cameron Green is virtually guaranteed a spot in the World Test Championship final. Australia’s coach Andrew McDonald has acknowledged that his batting position will be determined by other selection discussions, including as whether an all-rounder is required against South Africa at Lord’s.
The selection process will be disrupted as Green, 25, will not be able to bowl in the WTC final but is almost certain to return to the team as a batter only. Josh Inglis, Beau Webster, Sam Konstas, and Marnus Labuschagne will all be in flux depending on how the XI is put together.
Since March 2024, when he batted at No. 4 for Australia in a two-Test series against New Zealand and scored a career-high 174 not out in Wellington, Green has not participated in Test cricket. In recent weeks, he has played his first cricket of any kind since back surgery last October, scoring three hundreds and an undefeated 67 in eight innings at No. 5 for Gloucestershire.
Before departing for the UK on Tuesday, McDonald stated on SEN radio that Green may place anywhere in the top six but that Steven Smith will stay at number four.
What Green’s selection means
Green’s presence and his batting position will have a big ripple effect. Having cycled between Smith, Head, Konstas, and Nathan McSweeney in the previous three Test series Australia has played, Usman Khawaja will require yet another opening partner when Travis Head returns to No. 5 after beginning in Sri Lanka.
As Australia’s all-rounder at number six against India in Sydney, Webster had a great start to Test cricket. He also performed admirably in Sri Lanka. As the selectors consider whether they require a fifth bowler for a one-time Test final, McDonald clarified that he was not guaranteed a spot at Lord’s.
“There’s an XI on a board, but it’s got some dashes with multiple names in different positions,” McDonald said. “Do we need to play the allrounder depending on the conditions that present? That’ll then shuffle the batting order. We’re quite flexible in our approach to that.
“We’ve got roughly what we think it might look like. And then clearly, there’ll be some decisions as we get to the pointy end. And we’ve said before that we only make decisions when we need to.”