All-rounder’s return to be Green light for Labuschagne

Cameron Green’s return to bowling is set to grant Marnus Labuschagne a precious opportunity to resurrect his Test career during the Ashes.

Allrounder Green is likely to drop back down the order for Australia when he returns to bowling, opening up dual avenues for the likes of Labuschagne and also Sam Konstas to earn batting spots against England.

While Green excelled in the top three on difficult pitches during the West Indies tour, selection chair George Bailey has conceded that it would be difficult to ask Green to stay in that role once he starts bowling following back surgery last year. Green was often seen bowling at training in the Caribbean.

As such, a spot further down the order, possibly tipping out Beau Webster at number six, will open opportunities for Labuschagne to return following his time out of the side.

“I think he can bat anywhere from three to six,” Bailey said of Green. “There will be an added layer of complexity on that when he returns to the bowling crease as well, we’re just working out where best suits around that.

“But the growth there, and even his play in the T20 series, you see a really structured and technically focused guy in Test cricket but also an immense array of power and freedom within that player as well.

“It’s always hard when you’ve had a long period out of the game, I think there was a little bit of that too, the nerves are there, am I still good enough and how do I play. So I thought he navigated that really well.”

Adam Gilchrist is one respected figure who had questioned the long-term wisdom of keeping Green at three.

“I’m personally not sure on that long-term,” Gilchrist told SEN Radio during the West Indies tour. “It’s not casting doubt about his batting ability, it’s about his all-round capacity to contribute to the Australian cricket team. He adds too much in the other areas of the game, with the ball and catching and everything that goes into it.

“I think he’d be better-suited, longer term, at four or five. It’s funny how they’ve changed that opinion – they moved Steve Smith to say that our best line-up was with Cam Green at No.4 [last year].”

Bailey argued that Labuschagne would benefit from having the chance to work on his game without the pressures of constantly playing.

“One conversation with Marnus in the West Indies was around how when you are in the team and going from series to series you constantly feel like you’re just getting ready to perform,” Bailey said.

“Part of that is the scrutiny and attention on everything you do, versus West Indies was a chance for him to get back to working on some things that he didn’t feel like at times he had time to when you’re prepping to play. Hopefully there was some benefit in that.”

As the senior team prepares to play white ball games against South Africa in Darwin and far north Queensland from Sunday, Bailey unveiled an Australia A squad to go to India. This group not only features Konstas but another teenager in the highly-rated Victorian Ollie Peake, who was a development tourist in Sri Lanka earlier this year.

At the very least, 18-year-old Peake is on course to tour India in 2027. But like Konstas last year, a run of big scores in the Sheffield Shield may also push him towards the front of the queue for a Test debut as early as this summer.

Alongside Xavier Bartlett, Campbell Kellaway, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Fergus O’Neill, Josh Philippe and Corey Rocchiccioli, the duo will fly back to Australia in time for the first round of the Shield in early October.

“Every time we’ve seen him, he’s just an incredibly quick learner,” Bailey said of Peake. “One bit of feedback from coaches and players he plays with is that he’s got a very mature head on his shoulders in a cricketing sense, in terms of being able to think through what’s happening in the game, adapt to that and learn.

“Hopefully these opportunities can accelerate that. He’s a quality kid and a quality player we’ve identified and hopefully he can continue to grow. Sam has played in some different parts of the world now but he’s just continuing to grow and learn about his game in completely different conditions.

“They’re two examples of guys we are really keen to have come back and be ready to play that first round of Shield cricket.”

Australia A squad for red ball games in Lucknow: Xavier Bartlett, Cooper Connolly, Jack Edwards, Aaron Hardie, Campbell Kellaway, Sam Konstas, Nathan McSweeney, Lance Morris, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Josh Philippe, Corey Rocchiccioli, Liam Scott.