Ricky Ponting, the former Australia captain, is backing Cameron Green after he had some trouble adjusting to the No. 3 spot in the Australian Test team.
After the West Indies series, Ponting spoke about Green’s toughness and how he’s getting more mature in that position. Green, who is 26, was moved to No. 3 when he came back to the Australian Test team for the World Test Championship 2025 final against South Africa. It was a rough start, as Green only scored 4 and 0 in a game where Australia lost badly.
Green kept struggling in the first Test against the West Indies, getting out cheaply for 3 and 15 on a pitch that was hard to bat on. But captain Pat Cummins has publicly supported Green, calling him a long-term option for that important top-order role.
As the series went on, Green started to get the hang of things, scoring 26, 52, 46, and 42 in tough batting conditions. He ended up being the third-highest run-scorer in the series, behind teammates Travis Head (224 runs) and Alex Carey (187 runs).
Ponting said that Green’s performance in the last Test of the West Indies series should calm down some of his early critics.
There was some question about Cameron Green, regarding if he should be at No. 3 for the long-term. Green’s second innings in the West Indies might have ended that discussion. Given the tough conditions, the amount of time he batted might have silenced some of those critics, Ponting said.
Ponting, who knows what it’s like to bat at No. 3, mentioned he was impressed with Green’s calm attitude under pressure and how well he handled difficult bowling spells.
Those weren’t easy runs. It wasn’t a flat track. The ball was moving around, and Green showed good discipline, he said.
Looking forward to the home Ashes series against England in November, Ponting thinks Australia will probably stick with their current top three: Sam Konstas, Usman Khawaja, and Cameron Green.
While Green seems to be getting comfortable in his role, Konstas’s place isn’t as certain. The 19-year-old opener made a good impression in his debut against India earlier this year, scoring 60 quickly, but he hasn’t been consistent since then. His West Indies tour was especially disappointing, as he only scored 50 runs in six innings. Still, Ponting advised people to be patient with the young player.
I’m not going to judge Sam too harshly yet. It was tough for every batter in that series. I think they need to support him for a while and help him work through the issues he might have, Ponting said.
The Ashes series starts on November 21, and Australia needs to finalize their lineup before then. Australia currently holds the trophy, after winning at home in 2020–21 and tying the series in England in 2023.