Melbourne [Australia], October 4 (ANI): Legendary Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that Australia should only feature young all-rounder Cameron Green in ICC T20 World Cup 2022 if a key player gets hit by an injury.
Watson, one of the best white-ball players of all time from Australia is a two-time 50-over World Cup winner in 2007 and 2015.
Though Watson is a fan of Green, but he still takes Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Marsh over him as long as they are completely fit.
"The only time I think he should be coming into the squad is if someone gets injured or they do not recover from their injury," Watson said in ICC Review on Monday.
"Marcus Stoinis, if he does not recover fully from his injury or Mitchell Marsh for example, if they do not recover from their niggles that they have had in the lead-up to this T20 World Cup, then absolutely (Green is) the first one picked," he added.
Similarly, Watson opines that captain Aaron Finch's role in the side is highly important despite a recent slump in form and feels he should be persisted with.
Finch has scored only two fifty-plus scores since the 2021 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup and had recently retired from ODIs after a string of low scores to focus on upcoming T20 World Cup.
Watson feels that Finch's value is way beyond the runs he scores for Aussies at the top and must be the first choice in playing XI.
"Finch is such an incredibly important part of this Australian team being the captain. He has been given the full support of the selectors and coach as well. So for me, everyone's got their fingers crossed that it is all able to click for him during this T20 World Cup because, firstly, it is such an important role that he plays in the Powerplay opening the batting and, secondly, as a leader, as the captain making decisions under pressure," he said.
"It is very important that there is no innuendo or pressure around him in terms of his position in the team ... from an Australian point of view, I have got my fingers crossed that he will be fit and firing," he added.
Teams have time till October 9 to tinker around with their squads for the World Cup. Ahead of this global cricket event, West Indies will tour Australia for two T20Is this month.
Finch will get some opportunity to score some valuable runs in these two games, while Green could also get a chance to show his skills at top of the order, after a great tour of Australia in which he hit two quickfire half-centuries as an opener and finished with 118 runs in three innings.
Watson feels that players from last year who won the title in Dubai deserve a chance to defend it on their home soil.
"The way the squad performed so well in the last T20 World Cup, there are no weak links. You have to give the players who were so dominant in the last T20 World Cup the first opportunity to be able to play in this T20 World Cup at home.""It is unfortunate from Cam Green's perspective because he is certainly good enough to be given a chance to play in that Australian team, but I would definitely give the players who did a great job in the last T20 World Cup the first opportunity and the opportunity to play this World Cup at home, because there are no weak links in that Aussie team," he added.
Australia will start its title defence against England on October 22.
Australian squad for T20 WC: Aaron Finch (c), Ashton Agar, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Kane Richardson, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa. (ANI)