Green posted a video of himself running on social media Wednesday, nearly three months after undergoing season-ending surgery on his back.
Chief selector George Bailey confirmed on Thursday that he is “very optimistic” Green will play against South Africa at Lord’s.
Green will undergo post-operative scans next month and is expected to return to bat in May. He will have to wait longer to bowl after Australia’s three-Test tour of the West Indies in June and July.
But Bailey suggested Marsh is still likely to return to the squad for next summer’s Ashes after his impressive return to the side against England in 2023.
“I don’t necessarily see this as the end of the road for him,” Bailey said. “I think Mitch is at his best and has a long-term view of what the Ashes might look like and what England can throw at us there.
“He’s got a skill set that fits in there, doesn’t take away from the fact that at some point we’re going to get Cameron Green back into the team as well. But something different, I’m probably not half glass. It’s empty around where Mitch leaves off.”
Webster was selected after scoring 57 and an unbeaten 39 in Sydney, but his ability to shoulder the heavy workload with the ball could also be important in Asia.
He bowled offspin for most of his career before turning to medium pace during Covid, but Bailey said it was unlikely his tweakers would be called upon in Sri Lanka.
Instead, Travis Head could provide support to Australian spinners Matt Kuhneman and Todd Murphy, both of whom could feature as frontline spinners in the XI alongside Nathan Lyon.
“[Webster’s spin] Maybe that wasn’t something that came up as a factor in the selection,” Bailey said. “I think we have a lot of spin options there. It’s a nice fourth or fifth bow up his sleeve for Beau, but I don’t necessarily think we’ll go down that path.”
Leave a Reply