Green facing back surgery that would mean he misses India Test series

Australia could head into the long-anticipated Border–Gavaskar Test series against India without Cameron Green as the star all-rounder considers back surgery that would rule him out for the entire summer.

Green is expected to decide within coming days whether to go in for a medical procedure on his spine.

The operation, performed by Christchurch surgeons Grahame Inglis and Rowan Schouten, involves screws and titanium wire to bind vertebrae together. It would undoubtedly rule Green out for months and leave him having to watch Australia’s summer Test series from the sidelines.

Green reportedly met with Australian team officials earlier this week to discuss what he can do about the surgery and what options he has. The two paths he can take is either take the surgery or run through a rehabilitate program to manage the problem. Scans taken only months earlier before the trip had been clear.

The Sporting Base understands nothing has officially been decided yet.

One way Australia could manage his problematic back injury—should Green decide to play on in 2024—is having another player step into the all-rounder gig while Green focuses on pure batting further up the order. Incumbent six Mitch Marsh could be the perfect replacement there, though he’s barely taken the ball through the winter.

For Green, giving away the bowling is only a “break in case of emergency” option. Back in August, before he started managing this injury, Green told cricket.com.au a career as a specialist batter was something he would only look at well into the future.

“I’ve thought about it as an ‘in 10 years’ time’ sort of thing,” Green then admitted when asked if he would consider handing away the bowling responsibilities eventually.

“Down the track it’s an option but at the moment I’m very happy to be a genuine allrounder.”