Aussies to play long game with 'underdone' Green

Cameron Green may be Australia’s most precious commodity on their tour of Sri Lanka and the visitors are taking no risks with the young allrounder, who will not bowl in the opening part of their ODI series in Kandy.

Green’s seam bowling could be the key to Australia fielding three spinners and just the solitary specialist quick for the upcoming Test series in Galle, but his compromised lead-in for the five-match one-day international campaign beginning Tuesday means he will be considered as a batter only for the first two games.

The 23-year-old bowled at full tilt in the morning heat at the Pallekele Stadium on Sunday but the build-up of his bowling ‘loads’ (a key measure in preventing fast bowler injuries) are behind where Australia want them to be.

Wet weather in Perth, which prevented him from bowling outdoors before flying out for Sri Lanka, has been a factor.

"He is fractionally underdone at the moment so we’re not going to risk that," coach Andrew McDonald said of Green, who has taken 16 wickets at 23.50 in his last eight Tests against England and Pakistan. "He’s not far off, it’s basically a week or so just to build that up.

"He’s had a bit of a compromised prep, so we’re erring on the side of caution around that one.

"He’s important, that all-round capability gives you the flexibility to potentially pick three spinners (for the Tests).

"His bowling is important to this team – we saw that in the Ashes series, we saw that in Pakistan.

"It’s important that we manage him – along with the rest of our fast-bowling group."

The strength of Green’s batting, which he sent a reminder of with a 111-ball 119 against Sri Lanka A on Wednesday in Colombo, means he is a chance to feature in the first two ODIs anyway.

But it robs Australia of another bowling option for those matches in Kandy.

Mitches Starc (sliced finger) and Marsh (calf) will not play in those games either, while McDonald conceded the prospect of Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood featuring in all five 50-over matches was never on the cards anyway given the short turnaround between matches.

Jhye Richardson, who is vying with leg-spinner Mitchell Swepson for the final bowling spot in the Australian XI for Tuesday’s game, will also need to be looked after given his history of injury.

McDonald said the Starc and Marsh injuries had thrown a spanner in the works for their plans to release unused members of the ODI squad to play for Australia A in the two four-day matches, the first of which also starts Tuesday.

"It's changed our initial thinking and initial planning, which always happens due to injuries," said McDonald, whose arrival into Sri Lanka was delayed after contracting COVID-19 two days before his planned departure.

"There is some design make sure our players are playing cricket when they’re over here, whether that be in the A series or in the one-day internationals.

"It’s about making sure we haven’t got people sitting on the bench two or three deep in that skillset and just lingering around running drinks. We don’t see that as a benefit to anyone."

In that category is Travis Head, who has been released from the 50-over squad to play the first four-dayer against Sri Lanka in the coastal town of Hambantota.

Head is averaging nearly 60 in List A cricket over the past 12 months and made a blistering century during Australia’s most recent ODI bout in Pakistan, but has been squeezed out by the returns of David Warner and Steve Smith.

In fact, Australia’s team for Tuesday looks set to be the strongest it has fielded in some time in a format they have played just six games in since December, 2020. 

Marnus Labuschagne has played triple the number of 50-over games for Queensland (nine) as he has for Australia (three) over the past 18 months, while Warner, Smith and Cummins have not played an ODI at all during that period.

Australia have a run of ODI matches in north Queensland against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in August-September when they return from Sri Lanka and could field a number of different players in those matches as they eye off the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.

"We haven't played a lot of one day cricket," said McDonald. "So the build-up towards 2023 is really important.

"We feel as though we've got some really good plans in place to play some different ways come 2023, you never know what personnel is going to be available, who's going to be injured at that time.

"You've got to cover all bases and it's about building our capabilities in certain areas, but also concentrating on winning games of cricket."

Qantas Tour of Sri Lanka, 2022

Sri Lanka T20 squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Nuwanidu Fernando, Lahiru Madushanka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Kasun Rajitha, Nuwan Thushara, Matheesha Pathirana, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lakshan Sandakan. Standby: Jeffrey Vandersay, Niroshan Dickwella

Australia T20 squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner, Matthew Wade

June 7: Australia won by 10 wickets

June 8: Australia won by three wickets

June 11: Sri Lanka won by four wickets

Sri Lanka ODI squad: Dasun Shanaka (c), Pathum Nissanka, Danushka Gunathilaka, Kusal Mendis, Charith Asalanka, Dhananjaya de Silva, Dinesh Chandimal, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Niroshan Dickwella, Wanindu Hasaranga, Chamika Karunaratne, Dushmantha Chameera, Asitha Fernando, Nuwan Thushara, Ramesh Mendis, Maheesh Theekshana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lahiru Madushanka, Dunith Wellalage, Pramod Madushan

Australia ODI squad: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Pat Cummins, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 14: First ODI, Kandy, 7pm AEST

June 16: Second ODI, Kandy, 7pm AEST

June 19: Third ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST

June 21: Fourth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST

June 24: Fifth ODI, Colombo, 7pm AEST

Sri Lanka Test squad (provisional): Dimuth Karunaratne (c), Pathum Nissanka, Kamil Mishara, Oshada Fernando, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dhananjaya De Silva, Kamindu Mendis, Niroshan Dickwella, Dinesh Chandimal, Chamika Karunaratne, Ramesh Mendis, Mohamed Shiraz, Shiran Fernando, Dilshan Madushanka, Lahiru Kumara, Kasun Rajitha, Vishwa Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Jeffrey Vandersay, Lakshitha Rasanjana, Praveen Jayawickrama, Lasith Embuldeniya, Suminda Lakshan

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Ashton Agar, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

June 29 - July 3: First Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST

July 8-12: Second Test, Galle, 2.30pm AEST

All Sri Lanka v Australia international fixtures will be screened live on Fox Cricket and Kayo Sports

Australia A fixtures

Australia A squad: Scott Boland, Aaron Hardie, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Henry Hunt, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nic Maddinson, Nathan McAndrew, Todd Murphy, Jimmy Peirson, Josh Philippe, Matt Renshaw, Tanveer Sangha, Mark Steketee

Sri Lanka A one-day squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (c), Niroshan Dickwella, Lahiru Udara, Lasith Croospulle, Oshada Fernando, Pabasara Waduge, Kamindu Mendis, Ashen Bandara, Janitha Liyanage, Sahan Arachchi, Pulina Tharanga, Dunith Wellalage, Dananjaya Lakshan, Shiran Fernando (will not play due to injury), Dilshan Madushanka, Pramod Madushan, Nishan Madushka, Ashen Daniel,Nisala Tharaka

June 8: Australia A won by seven wickets

June 10: Sri Lanka A won by four wickets

June 14-17: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota

June 21-24: first-class tour match v Sri Lanka A, Hambantota