Previously, Green’s most influential T20 innings came as an opener or a runner-up (the latter brought him his first T20 innings in IPL 2023) and his development in various positions has grown under the guidance of RCB batting coach Neil McKenzie. His confidence is what gives Australia a potentially important option in the Caribbean.
“I think that’s the beauty of what I’ve been exposed to over the past few years. There hasn’t really been a consistent point to pin it on, but at the same time I’m pretty grateful for it,” Green told reporters. “I feel like I can step into a lot of different roles. (I) see myself playing that role in this tournament. Maybe I can fill a hole in the team. It’s a pretty good team to come into. I know I’ll be playing everywhere. Every time I hear it (I think) ) I feel like I have some confidence and an idea of where to ride anyway.
“You can play quite different cricket when you bat at the top (of the order) and when you have two fielders out at first. It probably took me a while to figure out how to do that (in the middle order) myself. If you give someone 10 balls, they can get in on their own, but when you’re inexperienced, sometimes it doesn’t feel like you have 10 balls.”
Green could potentially pressure Marcus Stoinis but may not make the starting XI early in the tournament, but Australia could field eight batsmen if conditions allow. In that set-up, Green’s bowling became an important factor in balancing the side, another area of his game where he learned to deal with the pressure of the high-scoring IPL. He finished the game with an economy rate of less than 9.
This was based on the knowledge that Green would have a full IPL to prepare for the T20 World Cup and benefited from playing red-ball and white-ball cricket, but juggling formats would continue to be a key part of Green’s career.
“I’ve definitely noticed (the difference). This is probably the most prepared I’ve been for any kind of tour,” he said. “You always go from a Test tour to a T20 and from a T20 to a Test tour, so that’s quite extreme, but the beauty of this year’s IPL is that we’ve had unbelievable practice that actually leads to that.
“It’s a good balance to see which types of tournaments can be prioritized over others. With the T20s (series against New Zealand) and us through the IPL, they felt it would be more advantageous to stick to red-ball cricket for that summer. It will be cut and changed.”
