Australia’s ever-reliable allrounder Cameron Green is set to return to action following a six-month absence due to a back surgery that put him out of competitive cricket for long. Green is targeting his return to Test team, with the Test Championship final against South Africa in June and an Ashes series at home in November.
Since September last year, Green has not featured in any competitive match. Green will now be flying to England for an upcoming five-match stint with English County side Gloucestershire.
"The surgery has been incredible. I think I was probably off [my] legs for about two weeks. And after that I've been doing gym work for the last four or five months, been running for the last two months, been batting for the last month. It's been pretty seamless. So, yeah, pretty happy I got it done,” Green said while speaking to reporters on Monday.
"It's for the long-term goal of playing cricket for as long as I can. Bowling for as long as I can. I got it for that reason, solely. Obviously I could have healed [the stress fracture] over nine months, but I took the option to get the surgery, and hopefully, fingers crossed, that's the last of it, which would be nice."
The county matches will be incredibly crucial for Green as he guns for a spot in Australia’s XI for the Test Championship final. Meanwhile, Green will not resume bowling until the Ashes.
"I think we've got an ultra-successful top five, six, seven, so it's never easy. But that's where you want it to be in a Test team; you want someone to rise to the challenge, take that position for themselves, and that's what's been done,” Green said.
"They've had another ultra-successful summer, and I was so happy watching. But at the same time, you always want to get back into the team. So we'll wait and see what happens."