Cameron Green is not Going to be a part of this season
Australian allrounder Cameron Green is set to undergo surgery on his lower back after being diagnosed with his fifth stress fracture. This significant injury will likely keep him out of action for at least six months, putting him on the sidelines for the entire upcoming cricket season, including the highly anticipated five-Test series against India, a tour to Sri Lanka, and the Champions Trophy.
Green’s decision to undergo surgery follows weeks of consultations with Cricket Australia (CA) medical staff after the injury was initially identified on September 24 while he was playing in the UK.
His condition has been compared to other cricketers like Jason Behrendorff, James Pattinson, Ben Dwarshuis, and New Zealand’s Shane Bond and Matt Henry, all of whom have undergone a similar surgical procedure. This surgery involves the insertion of screws and a titanium cable into the lower back to stabilize the fracture and prevent future occurrences.
Why Cameron Green is not Going to be a part of this season?
Green has spoken with his Western Australia and club teammate Behrendorff, who had the same surgery in 2019, to understand the recovery process. While recovery times can vary, Cricket Australia is cautiously optimistic, projecting a six-month recovery period. However, recovery for some players has taken up to nine months. If Green’s timeline goes as planned, he could potentially be fit for the IPL, the World Test Championship final (should Australia qualify), and the three-Test tour of the Caribbean in mid-2025. However, his ability to bowl during this period remains uncertain.
This isn’t the first time Green has faced a stress fracture. He has battled four previous fractures in his lower back, the last of which occurred in 2019, just before his Test debut. Medical staff are perplexed by this latest injury, particularly because Green has been carefully managed over the past four years, including routine scans and monitoring. Cricket Australia released a statement explaining the decision for surgery, noting that Green has a unique defect near the fracture site that may have contributed to his injury. The surgery aims to stabilize the area and reduce the risk of future issues.
Interestingly, Green’s routine scan in August showed no signs of injury, which led him to bowl during Australia’s UK tour. Across five T20Is and two ODIs, Green bowled 21.2 overs, with his heaviest workload coming during a match at Chester-le-Street, where he bowled six overs of short-pitched deliveries as Australia pushed for wickets. He reported soreness after that match, which ultimately led to his diagnosis.
Some in the Australian cricket community have questioned the workload placed on Green during the UK tour, particularly in comparison to Mitchell Marsh, who was managed far more conservatively ahead of the India Test series. Marsh bowled only four overs during the entire tour, and those came after Green had already returned home due to injury.
Despite the scrutiny, there were no clear warning signs that Green was at risk of injury leading into the tour, and his bowling workload for the year had been significantly reduced compared to previous years. While he bowled over 230 overs in matches during 2021 and 2022, and 190 overs in 2023, he had only bowled 124.3 overs in 2024 before this latest injury.
The specific surgery Green will undergo has seen success with many players, including Behrendorff, who had a smooth recovery after the procedure in 2019. Cricket Australia physio Nick Jones oversaw Behrendorff’s rehabilitation, and he has done extensive research on the surgery. Out of 26 patients who have undergone this type of surgery over the past two decades, 24 have successfully returned to full fitness. However, New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who had the surgery more recently, is still in recovery and yet to return to full form, though his case is considered an outlier.
Ben Dwarshuis, another Australian cricketer who had the surgery in 2019, was able to return to bowling in grade cricket after just seven months and was back in domestic cricket within 10 months. While he has since played in nine first-class matches, Dwarshuis has predominantly focused on white-ball cricket since his recovery.
Jason Behrendorff, who had the procedure in October 2019, didn’t return to play until December 2020. While he hasn’t returned to first-class cricket, he has been able to play consistently without any significant back issues since his surgery. James Pattinson, on the other hand, took 12 months to return to first-class cricket and an additional 22 months to play Test cricket. Unfortunately, Pattinson’s career was plagued by recurring injuries, and he retired from professional cricket at just 32.
One of the most successful examples of this surgery is New Zealand’s Matt Henry, who underwent the procedure in 2012 at just 20 years old. Henry has enjoyed a long career since then, and his standout performances against Australia earlier this year at 32 years old demonstrate the long-term benefits of the surgery.
For Green, the road to recovery will be long, but with the success of previous players and the expertise of Cricket Australia’s medical staff, there is hope that he will make a full comeback. Whether he will be able to resume his role as a bowling allrounder or focus solely on batting remains to be seen, but his journey through this surgery will undoubtedly be closely watched by the cricketing world.
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FAQs
What’s the age of Cameron Green?
25
