'Living the dream': Taking the scenic route to the Green and gold

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This was published 4 years ago

'Living the dream': Taking the scenic route to the Green and gold

By Andrew Wu

There's not much room for loyalty in the Twenty20 gun for hire world that Chris Green lives in. Pride in the jumper changes from month to month.

This year alone he has played for the Multan Sultans, the Toronto Nationals, Birmingham Bears and the Guyana Amazon Warriors. In the Pakistan Super League alone, he has played for three franchises in three years.

Chris Green with Sir Viv Richards after a historic game in Lahore with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League.

Chris Green with Sir Viv Richards after a historic game in Lahore with the Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League.

So when his Big Bash League team Sydney Thunder offered him job security in the form of a six-year contract Green jumped at it. Job security is hard to find on the T20 circuit.

"The nature of these franchise tournaments is there's no guarantees you'll be going to the same team or if the same team exists. They may change their name next year," Green said.

"For me to be playing for the same club for the next five years is something that's really special because of how much I love the club."

Twenty20 has not only changed the way cricket is played but also dramatically altered Green's career. Without it, he notes, he would be "grinding away in first grade, playing second XI [for NSW] and hoping for a state contract".

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Instead, he is "living the dream", as he puts it, travelling the world playing the game he loves. He is speaking to The Sun-Herald from Abu Dhabi for the T10 League, a tournament also featuring former Australian star Shane Watson, South African great Hashim Amla and West Indies stars Kieron Pollard, Andre Russell and Darren Sammy.

It has also taken him, of all places, to non-traditional cricket nations like Canada the matted pitches of Norway.

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As much as Green had wanted to visit the Scandinavian nation, he figured it would be one of those places he was unlikely to see if not for cricket.

"The fact cricket took me there was pretty awesome, it's one of those pinch yourself moments," Green said.

"I'm travelling the world playing the sport I love, going to different countries, seeing different cultures, learning about the game and how it's played by people from different backgrounds.

"My two dreams were to travel the world playing cricket and to play for Australia."

The second dream is not as far away as most cricket fans would think. Australia are due to play 15 Twenty20s leading into next year's World Cup at home. Green has been told by selector Trevor Hohns he is on their radar.

A spinner who can hit hard in the latter overs, Green is vying for the position currently filled by Ashton Agar, who impressed bowling in tandem with Adam Zampa in the series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

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While Agar may be the more accomplished all-form player, Green's BBL record compares favourably to his rival. He has taken more wickets (30 to 27), at a lower average (29.16 to 30.25) and a better economy rate (7.00 runs to 7.04).

There is more to T20 analytics than those numbers, of course, but at the very least they illustrate how Green should not be far off the mark.

"He [Hohns] said to me playing around the world and not being in Australia doesn't mean I'm not being considered," Green said. "They like the experience I bring. I have to keep pushing and putting my best performances because I know how well Ashton and Adam Zampa are doing.

"I have to keep putting solid and consistent performances to put them under pressure."

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