Cameron Green Eager for T20 World Cup Debut Despite Staggered Arrival

Cameron Green, the Australian all-rounder, has expressed his eagerness to play in the T20 World Cup despite a staggered arrival in the Caribbean after the Indian Premier League (IPL). Green, who has endured extensive travel in 2023, said he is accustomed to the long journeys, having experienced a 38-hour flight to join the Australian squad.

Green's journey to Barbados was relatively smooth compared to some of his teammates, with only one lost bag. He was given a few days at home in Perth after RCB's elimination from the IPL a week ago.

"Just one bag lost - my cricket bag but it came the next day. My trip was about 38 hours while Starcy's (Mitchell Starc) was about 60 hours. So overall happy," Green told reporters after Australia's training session on Monday.

Green's comfort in living out of a suitcase helped him find his rhythm late in the IPL campaign. After early struggles, he played an important role with bat and ball for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

Green was dropped by RCB five games into the competition but regained his footing during the team's late charge into the playoffs. He increased his strike rate from 107.93 in his first five games to 170.21 in his last seven.

While Green may not be in Australia's XI for the match against Oman on Thursday, he could potentially bat anywhere in the top eight if needed.

"That's the beauty of what I've been exposed to in the last few years. It's not always been a consistent spot that I've locked into. But at the same time, I'm also thankful for that. I feel like I can jump in at many different roles. I think that's where I see myself this tournament, maybe plugging holes in the team," he added.

Green admitted to feeling a touch sore after spending more time on the net than any of his colleagues since joining the group. However, he believes his preparation couldn't have been better.

Balancing Green's workloads across different formats has been a concern for Australian management, given his rapid rise as a sought-after player.

"Talking to the other guys, it's been quite ridiculous the amount of travel and the lack of days at home, compared to normal years. I think you weirdly get used to it, been doing it for two years now. This is the most prepared I've been for some sort of tour. I think you (often) go from a Test tour into a T20 or straight into a Test tour - it's pretty extreme. But that's the beauty of the IPL this year. You actually got some unbelievable practice leading into this. So a lot of the guys in our team are pretty confident and hopefully, we can start the tournament off well," Green said.

The World Test Champion and ODI World Cup winner will kickstart its tournament against Oman on Wednesday.

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