Healy: Green should not be missing Shield for IPL preparations

Ian Healy has his say

I had to dig. I had to do some searching.

The reason why Cam Green is not playing for Western Australia against the Queensland Bulls starting today at Allan Border Field. It's for ‘workload and preparation management’.

What does that mean? Workload and preparation management.

He needs workloads, so you can't get that in a game?

It's not a straight injury admission. But jeez, I had to dig low to get to the bottom of this.

No-one's come out and said face-to-face to a media pack exactly what it is.

They're managing his red ball workload carefully. It's preserved for specific key matches.

So, a Sheffield Shield match is not a key match anymore.

They finished in the T20 World Cup in Sri Lanka on the 20th of February when they beat Oman. Green bowled two overs and had 0/20.

There are two Sheffield Shield games to go. He should've been totally ready to play a week after getting home from Sri Lanka, let's say that was on the 27th of February, that's a week ago already.

Then he could have started building up to get ready to play the Bulls and help Western Australia get out of the doldrums. That's what he's got to be all about.

Sheffield Shield games were something to thrill us and be so excited by, but now it's not even a key match in the eyes of Cricket Australia.

The IPL is what they're getting him ready for. Hang on Cricket Australia, what are you doing? You’re sacrificing Sheffield Shield performances for your state to get ready for the IPL - the Indian Premier League.

I just think preparation management these days in these ranks of First-Class cricket is performance avoidance.

He needs to bat, I don't care whether he bowls or not, but he needs runs.

He needs to get his batting back together.

Avoiding performing is not great preparation.

Robert Craddock calls for Green's Test axing

"It's complete rubbish (that he's missing)," Craddock told SENQ Breakfast.

"He needs to rebuild his reputation. He needs to get out there in games like this.

"Earlier this week, I formally approached the WACA for an interview with him when he landed in Brisbane.

"It seemed as if he was coming, so there was talk he may do an interview at the airport before leaving. Then suddenly, he wasn't, due to workload management.

"Workload management should be planned, it's not this last minute thing.

"To me he's been a staggering disappointment. I had him penciled in as a future Australian captain because he's in a generation all by himself. There's barely any players four years older or four years younger than him in the Test team. But I now no longer have him in Australia's next Test XI.

"I really do think it's time to drop him against Bangladesh when they play them in Darwin, playing Beau Webster instead."

"I think it's come to that. I'm sure he'll be back, but guess what? It's time to face the reality of a form slump."