Cricket commentator and former player Bryce McGain says the upcoming Sheffield Shield season will be critical for players to show their wares, as the top six order could be set for a shake up, with all-rounder Cameron Green under an injury cloud. 

Last month Australian coach Andrew McDonald confirmed the Test side’s top six batsman would remain in the side ahead of the impending test series against India, however the uncertainty surrounding Green’s availability for the series opener in Perth creates questions about selection. 

The West Aussie complained of back soreness following the third ODI against England and was ruled out of the remaining two matches. Green was sent for scans however, the extent of the injury and the timeline for his return is still currently unknown. 

Green and the Australian selectors will know more once he returns from England but given his history of back injuries there will be plenty of question marks over his readiness to face India next month. 

In 2019-20, a back injury prevented Green from bowling, however he was able to still contribute with the bat – a scenario McGain says may have to be repeated if Green was to hold his spot. 

“There’s a lot of water to pass under the bridge before we’re going to know exactly what path they take,” he told SportFM. 

“He’s still in the top six players in Australia and I think he’ll still hold his spot in  the test line up given its a good six weeks away. 

“There might be a period where he doesn’t bowl and we’ve had that before but I think he’s so much more experienced with the bat now. 

“He knows his game a lot better than what he did a couple of years ago when he first came on the scene, so I think he’s ready for an enormous summer and he could be completely dominant.” 

In the event Green is not ready, selectors could go one of two ways – make a like-for-like replacement with another all-rounder or select a new partner for Usman Khawaja at the top of the order. 

Australia’s batting line up was shaken up last summer with David Warner’s retirement and saw Steve Smith open the batting, while Green slot into number four. 

While a like-for-like replacement could be the likely path, McGain says a dominant performance from an opening batsman at shield level could persuade selectors to go down that route. 

“They’ll be looking at these performances like no other. This will probably be the most important three or four Shield games in a lot of these players’ careers, because if they can turn it around… then they’ll have no choice but to select them,” he said. 

“We need a speciallist at the top of the order – it could be Cameron Bancroft, there’s options all around the country, but if a top order player, particularly an opener goes and does that I think it will turn heads of selectors. They look really settled but again, they’re shoehorning an all rounder to the top of the order.

“They’re happy with their batsman, but its where they put them around. With the way they format them around, they could change and they might spin their heads off their shoulders should someone perform at the very best and be able to get really big dominant and difficult runs when their team may be struggling.” 

Another likely replacement for Green in the event he is unavailable, is his West Australian teammate and all-rounder Aaron Hardie who has spent time in the Australian white ball set up against England last month. 

McGain called him, and fellow West Aussie all-round ‘highly regarded’ and has faith Hardie would be ready should he get the call up.

“With Mitch Marsh and Aaron Hardie, they’re so highly regarded, not only by the selectors and they’re certainly acknowledging his performances there, but also by his peers around the country,” said McGain.

“You speak to a lot of his peers, he is an evident international ready all rounder in Hardie. 

“There’s so many opportunities that can present, and sometimes through adversity, we see it happen in sport regularly in sport around the world in different formats and different codes.”

IMAGE: Fox Sports