Former Australian paceman Damien Fleming says Beau Webster should revert to bowling off-spin to cement his place ahead of Cameron Green as the Test all-rounder.
Simon Katich, meanwhile, believes the retirement of Usman Khawaja has opened the door for both Green and Webster to play in the same side.
Webster looked in far greater control at the crease at the close of day three after Green (37) threw away another start.
It’s poured fuel on the Green vs. Webster debate, even though Australia won’t play another Test match for eight months.
Fleming thinks Webster has “gone past” Green in the all-rounder stakes but believes he is better suited to bowling off-spin.
“(Green) could be a superstar, I know Beau Webster isn’t going to be a superstar but right now I know what Beau Webster is going to get me,” Fleming said via SEN.
“It’s tough, hard, intelligent Test match cricket and I encourage the Australian hierarchy to keep telling him to bowl off-spinners.
“We heard when he got back in, ‘He hasn’t bowled them for years’. Man, how is he going to bowl on this? I want to see him bowl off-spin.”
Katich, the maker of 10 Test centuries, says Green and Webster can play in the same side once Khawaja finishes at the SCG.
He does, though, see a technical flaw in Green’s game with the short ball after being hit in Perth and bounced out in Sydney.
“It’s an interesting one. Because Khawaja is retiring, I still think there is a chance you could play both of them,” Katich said.
“I like what I saw from Green (day three), I didn’t like what I saw from him in Melbourne.
“But there is a few technical areas he needs to work on and if he can do that, I think he can come back a better player for it.
“I thought he applied himself well yesterday but to get out in that fashion, it’s technical.
“This has been ongoing … when he got hit in the head in Perth, that was a technical error there.
“That was six weeks ago and it hasn’t been rectified, so I would question what is going on behind the scenes to help this young guy out.”
Tyler Lewis
