SUM OF HIS PARTS MAY MAKE RIVALS GREEN WITH ENVY

THERE’ sa special sort of excitement about all-rounder Cameron Green and it’ s linked to a 65- year search for cricket’ s most precious gem.

That’ s how long it has been since the greatest of all Australian all-rounders, debonair Keith Miller, swaggered off into retirement with a Test match batting average of 37 and a bowling average of 23.

These are kooky numbers, because they meant Miller could have been chosen as a batsman or a pace bowler, making him the most treasured selection option of all, outside a batting freak like Don Bradman.

Into this exclusive “pick me for either skill” club fall players like West Indian icon Garry Sober sand England’ s Ian Both am.

Outside it fall dozens of wannabe bits and pieces players who were touted for big things but fell short after teasing select ors because they “did a bit of this and that ‘’ but neither particularly well.

There are at least a dozen English all-rounders with scrap books featuring stories which called them “the new Both am .‘’ Most of them played less than 20 Tests and now cringe at the comparison.

It‘s far too early to say that new 50- over Australian selection Green could be a “Nugget ’’ Miller clone, but his numbers in his brief career—a batting average of 52 and a bowling average of 21—are making pulses race.

The significant thing is, for most of his career, Green thought of himself as a bowler more than a bats man, even though his batting skills have been most prominent at firstclass level.

When he made his Sheffield Shield de but for West Australia he bat ted No .8 and took five wickets.

Tim Paine was so excited by Green‘s potential when he scored a century for Western Australia against Tasmania that he immediately rang coach Justin L anger to sprout his virtues.

Greg Cha pp ell has been the loudest voice on the Green bandwagon. That’s significant, f because Cha pp ell was the selector who pounded the pulp it for a young Steve Smith to make his Test de but and for white ball warrior David Warner to be groomed for Test cricket.

Cha pp ellis exceptional at spotting young talent and is a shamelessly hard marker because he knows most youngsters never make it.

He knows the impact of his words, so he does not throw around lines like “he’ s the best I’ ve seen since Ricky P on ting ’’ without the dee pest consideration.

Cha pp ell has been saying for 40 years the definition of a true all-rounder is someone who can hold their place in the side on one skill, so that the others kill becomes a bonus.

Into this category fall the likes of Mark and Steve Waugh, primarily bats men, and Alan Davidson and Ric hi e Ben aud, mainly bowlers.

Green could actually sail high above this mark if both of his skills pass muster.

It’ s exciting. The great thing about all-rounders is that they create so much discussion. They literally drip storylines.

Could Green play as a specialist bats man? Where should he bat? Who should make way for him? Should Australia use him sparingly as abowler?

Nothing captures the interest of a cricket nation more than a young player with a spectacular future. A fascinating journey a waits.