Australia got a major blow ahead of the highly anticipated five-match Test series against India, set to begin on November 22 in Perth. The star all-rounder Cameron Green will miss the entire 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy after being diagnosed with his fifth stress fracture in his lower back, requiring surgery.
The Cricket Australia confirmed that the 25 years old cricketer will undergo surgery and is expected to be sidelined for at least six months. Cameron Green has played 28 Tests, 28 ODIs and 13 T20Is for Australia and his absence will be felt throughout the summer.
Here is the statement issued by the Cricket Australia:
“Australian allrounder Cameron Green will undergo surgery to address a stress fracture of the lumbar spine this week. The extent of the fracture was revealed in follow up scans and extensive assessment after he reported lower back pain on the recent tour of the UK. Whilst spine stress fractures are not unusual in pace bowlers, Cam has a unique defect in an adjacent area to the fracture that is believed to be contributing to the injury.”
The statement further read, “After thorough consultation it was determined Cameron would benefit from the surgery to stabilise the defect and reduce the risk of future recurrence. The surgery has been performed successfully with elite pace bowlers in the past. Recovery time is anticipated to be around six-months. The decision to proceed to surgery is with Cameron’s long-term future as an all-rounder in mind.”
Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 Schedule:
1st Test: Perth (November 22-26)
2nd Test: Adelaide (December 6-10)
3rd Test: Brisbane (December 14-18)
4th Test: Melbourne (December 26-30)
5th Test: Sydney (January 3-7)
Cameron Green’s recovery from a stress fracture is expected to take six months, which means that he will miss key upcoming fixtures, including the Test tour of Sri Lanka and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. However, the Cricket Australia remains optimistic that he could return in time for the IPL next year and possibly the WTC 2025 final if Australia qualifies.
This injury is a significant setback for Australia, as Cameron Green’s all-round capabilities will be difficult to be replaced in the upcoming matches against India. Fans will be eager to see how Australia adapts to this challenge as the series approaches.
