Ricky Ponting wants Australia to pick talented all-rounder Cameron Green in Test squad

Australia continued with their phenomenal form at home by thrashing Pakistan 2-0 in the Test series after winning the T20I series against them and Sri Lanka and former captain Ricky Ponting believes this is the best time to try young all-rounder Cameron Green. The Baggy Greens next play Trans-Tasman rivals New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home starting December 12.

Green, 20, is currently sidelined because of a back problem but will make a comeback soon. The Western Australia medium pacer is not only known to generate pace of around 140 kmph but has also slammed two hundreds and as many fifties in his last five matches in the Sheffield Shield.

While Ponting thinks Green’s inclusion in the team would be a “left-field decision”, he is confident that the rookie would benefit in the long run by being with the senior players. Green made his domestic debut only in 2017 and has featured in 11 first-class matches, nine List-A and a solitary T20 thus far. He also has a couple of fifers in first-class cricket as well.

“Cameron Green is probably the in-form batsman in the country,” Ponting told cricket.com.au. “It’d be a pretty left-field decision to make because he’s been batting so low for WA. But he’s not doing much wrong, he’s an exciting talent, and maybe to just include him and have him around the squad and give him a taste of what it’s like might not be a bad thing,” the 44-year-old, one of the best captains the game has seen, said.

Cameron Green is very young and very raw

“He’s very young and very raw, but what he’s doing in Shield cricket suggests there’s a whole lot of talent there with both bat and ball,” Ponting further added. The former Aussie skipper also said that Australia needs to keep an eye on Cameron Green for the next couple of years and also hoped that he could be fast-tracked to get into shape sooner.

Australia handed innings defeats to Pakistan in both the Tests they played recently — in Brisbane and Adelaide. David Warner, who slammed 335 not out in the second match, was picked the man of the series.