Is the “most underrated cricketer” in Australia in line to replace injured Green?

Australia will have to make a change to their Test side to face India this summer after it was confirmed that Cameron Green is set for surgery on his back.

With Green out, Australia will need to find a new player to slot into the top six and many expect them to pick an opener – with Steve Smith slotting back in at No. 4, or an all-rounder to replace Green in the middle order with another player replacing Smith at the top.

If they go the all-rounder route to replace Green with a like-for-like replacement, cricket journalist Robbert Craddock thinks that Tasmania’s Beau Webster could be leading the race.

The 30-year-old brought up his 12th First Class ton last week against Victoria and Craddock described him as the most underrated cricketer in the country after his dominant 2023/24 Sheffield Shield campaign where he led all run-scorers on 938 as well as taking 30 wickets.

“If you said to me, ‘Who else is in contention?’, well we haven’t mentioned Beau Webster the Tasmanian,” Craddock told SEN Mornings.

“He’s the most underrated cricketer in the country at the moment.

“I mean, last year he had the best season by an all-rounder in the Sheffield Shield since Garry Sobers. He scored 900-plus runs and 30 wickets, no one had done that since Sobers.

“He bowls finger spin as well as pace, he’s just over 200 centimetres, he’s a big lad and a good player.”

Craddock thinks Webster is just ahead of WA’s Aaron Hardie who has begun playing white-ball cricket for Australia as an all-rounder.

“He's averaged 61 over the last 12 months, you can't ignore that sort of progress,” Craddock said.

“I think he's certainly jostling with Aaron Hardie if not half a nose ahead of him (to replace Green).

“Tim Paine doesn't believe that and he's a better judge than me. Tim's got Aaron Hardie in front of Webster and he knows Webster - he played with him.

“So, it's a really tight race.”

The first of five Tests between Australia and India in Perth begins on November 22.