Australian coach Andrew McDonald has hinted at sparing all-rounder Cameron Green from white-ball duties in order to sharpen his focus on red-ball cricket ahead of the upcoming test series against India in the next home summer.
Green’s recent performance in the Sheffield Shield cricket with Western Australia, leading up to the ongoing New Zealand test series, has underscored the importance of red-ball preparation, culminating in his match-winning 174 not out in the Wellington opener.
McDonald emphasized the significance of prioritizing Green’s readiness for the test series against India, suggesting that he may be rested from scheduled ODIs and T20Is against Pakistan at the beginning of the home summer.
“I’d like to probably err on the side of preparing him through red ball. We know how good a white-ball player he is so you put a priority on what it looks like next summer,” McDonald stated.
Reflecting on Green’s stellar performance in Wellington, McDonald anticipates that Green himself may advocate for a similar preparation leading into the five-test series against India.
“The white-ball cricket’s important, but that test summer’s important, so I think with the results he’s had (at Wellington) he’ll probably come to us and say, ‘Can you give us a couple of Shield games before the first test against India?'”
Players compromise Pakistan series
Meanwhile, the New Zealand cricket team’s scheduled tour of Pakistan between April 14 and 28 for a five-match T20I series faces disruption as several key players, including Kane Williamson and Trent Boult, are set to miss the series due to their commitments in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.
With the possibility of fielding a second-string squad, New Zealand may encounter challenges as they navigate through the series against Pakistan in light of player absences and alternative squad compositions.
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