Comeback Cam out to cement spot, details surgery success

Cameron Green has vowed to keep bowling for as long as he can with the allrounder declaring the back operation that caused him to miss the entire summer "couldn't have gone better".

Green began the slow build towards his bowling return last week with remedial work at training ahead of the World Test Championship final, a match he appears likely to play as a specialist batter after a stunning comeback in county cricket.

The 26-year-old slammed three centuries in five matches for Gloucestershire in his first competitive matches since undergoing spinal surgery last October that involved doctors fusing his L4 vertebrae.

"I got exactly what I wanted out of it," Green said of his maiden county stint, which was facilitated by Gloucestershire sporting identity and racehorse owner Chris Coley, who helped the club financially to secure the Australian.

"To get back playing some professional cricket was exactly what I needed after a few months off so really grateful for Gloucester for letting me come along and hopefully I gave some wisdom back to the guys and it was mutually beneficial.

"Spending some time in England with the Dukes ball … I'm really glad I got to experience that reasonably early in my first-class career.

"(I've got) a bit more understanding of when the Dukes ball is really tough to play and when it might be easier – defending straight, scoring a little bit squarer than you do in Australia – just little things like that.

"I'm really happy I was able to get exposed to that …  so hopefully that's beneficial for the next time coming over."

Green, whose last international match was also in the UK during last year's white-ball tour, said he was at the same London hotel where the team are staying for this week's WTC final when he received the diagnosis of his latest round of stress fractures.

The West Australian said positive feedback from other bowlers who'd had similar operations, such as state teammate Jason Behrendorff and NSW quick Ben Dwarshuis – who was on last year's tour – helped convince him the surgery was the right path.

"The main reason for (the operation) was to shave down some bone – I've obviously had a bit of trauma in my L4, and extra bone had just developed on that part of the spine," Green told crcket.com.au's Unplayable Podcast in London ahead of Wednesday's Test showdown with South Africa at Lord's.

"By doing that, it forced my spine not to be able to bend as well, and it was probably smashing up against this new bone that wasn't helping it flex. That put a bit too much pressure (on the L4 vertebrae) that I'd actually broken the facet joint on the other side, which was quite rare for a back injury.

"That was how they explained why this happened and (they said) when getting rid of the bone 'we might as well fuse it, while we're there' … to make it really strong.

"I know that it's given me the best chance to play as much cricket, or certainly, bowl for as long as I can.

"It was all a really easy process, and it couldn't have gone better."

Green is hoping to be back bowling at full tilt for the Ashes in the upcoming home summer and said he felt great after a unique return to the crease at training in London.

"That will be the first international match, there will be a few Sheffield Shield games prior I'll be trying to aim for," he said.

"It's awesome to be back, it's been a long seven months to be back to this stage and to be close to bowling again is really exciting.

"You normally go through the rehab process away from eyes back at home, probably indoors on a cold day in winter in preseason. But my first ball back was a week before the World Test Championship in the Australian team with all the media around, that was quite funny to look at."

The right-armer said remedial work was targeting small changes to his action – "being a touch more front on and not jumping in as much" – to help keep him on the park.

While Green revealed selectors had hinted at a "couple of different options" for his return to the Test side, he said he'll "play whatever role the selectors see best for the team".

And that could be anywhere from one to six according to head coach Andrew McDonald, who, along with selectors George Bailey and Tony Dodemaide, face the tough task of fitting Green, Marnus Labuschagne, Sam Konstas, Josh Inglis and allrounder Beau Webster into the three remaining spots in Australia's XI to face the Proteas.

"He's had a gruelling task in terms of his rehab," McDonald told cricket.com.au ahead of the WTC final.

"Now, the next journey for him is clearly cementing himself in the side as a batter and then getting his bowling up and running.

"Any time you see a player coming off a long-term injury and then resuming something they really enjoy doing, it's nice.

"There's a long road ahead for him with the ball but we're confident that come the summer our expectation is that he'll be that full capacity allrounder that we love having the team."

World Test Championship Final

June 11-15: South Africa v Australia, Lord's

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Australia squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Usman Khawaja, Sam Konstas, Matt Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Beau Webster. Travelling reserve: Brendan Doggett

South Africa squad: Temba Bavuma (c), David Bedingham, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Kyle Verreynne