Australian head coach Andrew McDonald has backed Cameron Green, citing the expectations surrounding fast-bowling all-rounders in Australia and world cricket.
The Western Australia player was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders as the highest-paid overseas player in IPL history, for a whopping INR 25.20 crore. While he was registered as a batter, he clarified that he would be able to bowl in the tournament, but has since been withheld by Cricket Australia from bowling as he is nursing a back injury.
Speaking on the issue, McDonald explained the expectation around all-rounders, not just within the IPL but on Australian shores. He drew references to all-rounders like Shane Watson, Mitchell Marsh and Andrew Symonds, who were great performers for Australia.
"There's huge expectation within the IPL, and there's huge expectation with any allrounder that shapes an Australian team. You only have to look a short time ago: Mitch Marsh's journey, and Shane Watson, and even Andrew Symonds at the start of his career. It's not unfair, but there is an expectation around allrounders that they contribute in a certain way. It's almost like they want them to average 45 with the bat and average less than 30 with the ball. And there's been very few that do that,” McDonald said to SEN Radio.
He further reaffirmed his belief in the talent of the all-rounder, stating that Green has to balance out the expectations with his playing career, which is a significant challenge for cricketers.
"I'm sure that his career will trend upwards. We know he's good enough. He's just got to balance out all those expectations, and in particular, playing all three formats, which is a significant challenge for any cricketer, let alone a player that's still learning," he added.
Green is coming into the IPL on the back of a disappointing Ashes series, where he scored just 171 runs in five games. He was also part of the Australia squad that were knocked out in the group stages of the 2026 T20 World Cup.