Cameron Green, Labuschagne & Carey To Play Sheffield Shield Ahead Of PAK Tests
Marnus Labuschagne (Twitter)
Australian Test match trio of Alex Carey, Cameron Green and Marnus Labuschagne are set to play the coming round of Sheffield Shield 2023-24, Australia's premier domestic first-class competition, to set their preparations in order for the start of the home international summer against Pakistan.
Upon returning from India following the successful ICC World Cup 2023 campaign, the three players will be making their return to first-class duties for South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia, respectively.
While for Labuschagne it's mainly about red-ball game time following a prolonged white-ball phase, Carey and Green are going to fight for a comeback in the reckoning this week after being sidelined in ODIs and Tests. Carey, whose returns nosedived at the fag end of the Ashes 2023 in UK, had been dropped from Australia's One-Day outfit after the first league game of the World Cup.
He had been replaced by rising backup wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who proved to be an understated cog in Aussies' wheels over the remaining sojourn towards the World Cup title. He also struck a century in the ongoing T20I series versus India and could pose a threat to Carey's spot in Tests.
Carey, Green Set For Sheffield Shield Trial Before Pakistan Tests
"I don't feel like one-day and Test cricket overlay," Carey was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo amidst rising scrutiny on his batting performances.
"So we'll wait and see when Test selection comes out, but I'm looking forward to getting out there Tuesday and having a hit with the red ball for the Redbacks and then see what happens."
"You never want to get dropped in any format, and unfortunately after the first game I didn't get back out there, but I thought I held myself around the group pretty well."
"You never want to get dropped in any format, and unfortunately after the first game I didn't For Green, his axing from the final Test of the Ashes 2023 at The Oval reinforced the Australian pecking order where Mitchell Marsh is the first-choice fast-bowling allrounder with runs and wickets under his belt. The youngster will also be taking part in Prime Minister XI's match against the Pakistanis with the intention of bolstering his stocks.
"I'm obviously still learning as a cricketer. So I'm not too stressed about selection at the moment. There's a lot of cricket, a lot of things can happen with injuries or form."
"At the same time, I can use it as in a pretty positive way. I can spend more time in the nets, really trying to get that rhythm of red-ball cricket. If you're not playing the Test match, you might be able to play another Shield game."
"There are obviously a few silver linings you can take out of it and try and improve your skills and just be better for it if you get the chance," he added.
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