Green brushes off cramp to target all-format role

Fresh off a match-winning ODI performance, Cameron Green admits there are still areas of his game he wants to improve as he formulates a plan to become a three-format player for Australia.

Green belted an unbeaten 89 off 92 balls while he battled severe cramp in the first Dettol ODI against New Zealand in Cairns on Tuesday with his ball striking a feature of his innings.

It was a career-best innings for Green in one-day cricket, who together with Alex Carey (85 off 99), helped Australia recover from 5-44.

With a five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe and this starring role with the bat against the world No.1 Kiwis, the last matches have helped Green cement himself in the national side's best ODI XI, having been a lock in the Test team since his debut in 2020. 

And the 23-year-old said it was in his plans to play the shortest format, although he was realistic given Australia's full fixture for the summer ahead.

"Yeah, everyone aspires to be that," Green told reporters when asked if he would like to be an international three-format player.

"You just have to wait and see what the how the schedule is and how much time you get to actually improve your T20 game."

Green has already made a commitment to improving his T20 game, announcing in August that he had signed with the Perth Scorchers ahead of KFC BBL|12.

The allrounder hasn't played any Big Bash cricket since BBL|09 but made his T20 International debut in Pakistan in March.

The Test schedule means that Green is unlikely to be available for the Scorchers until January 11 against the Brisbane Heat, at which point Perth will have four matches of the regular season remaining.

And Green has identified his ability to step on the gas from his first delivery is an area he wants to improve in.

"It doesn't really come naturally to anybody," Green said. "Maybe some of the best in the world get it naturally.

"Hitting from ball one is something I need to work on."

Green's innings on Tuesday night looked to be coming to an anticlimactic finish when on 78, he required a long medical break after experiencing cramps in his "groin, calf, hamstring and forearm."

But it's something Green has become used to.

"I'm a bit of a serial cramper to be fair," Green said. "Growing up, whenever I got past 50, I used to cramp up, double calves. It's been an issue for a while."

While Australia team physio Nick Jones worked both of Green's legs during the seven-minute injury interval, Green also consumed pickle juice, a practice that is now commonplace among Australian sporting teams.

Pickle juice is believed to prevent and treat cramping by attacking the neural receptors at the back of one's throat that send cramping messages to the muscles.

But Green said he was a lost cause by the time the 'refreshments' came onto the field.

"It's really high in salt and it's meant to trick your muscle that there's actually a lot of salt when they actually don't," Green said.

"Unfortunately it didn't really work yesterday .. I was too far down the line that I was cramping anyway."

It's a tight turnaround Australia and New Zealand, who have just one day between matches with the second ODI in Cairns on Thursday.

Green said after a "really good sleep" he is expecting to be right for game two as Australia look to wrap up the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a match in hand.

Men's Dettol ODI Series v New Zealand

Tuesday, Sep 6: Australia won by two wickets

Thursday, Sep 8: Cazaly Stadium, Cairns, 2:20pm

Sunday Sep 11: Cazaly Stadium, Cairns, 2:20pm

Australia squad: Sean Abbott, Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Aaron Finch (c), Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, David Warner, Adam Zampa

New Zealand squad: Finn Allen, Trent Boult, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Jimmy Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Tim Southee, Kane Williamson (c)

Buy #AUSvNZ tickets here