Perth, Dec 16 (IANS): Former Australia cricketer Simon Katich sees an opportunity for fast-bowling all-rounder Cameron Green to open the batting in Tests after David Warner’s retirement from the format.

Since his debut in 2020, Green has played 24 Tests as a batter at either number six or seven. But he lost his spot during this year’s Ashes when Mitchell Marsh scored an impressive century on return to the format at Headingley.

With Warner set to retire after the Sydney Test against Pakistan, and Australia to play two Tests against the West Indies later in January 2024, chances are high of Green being slotted at the top.

“That’s where someone, I think, like Cameron Green will be best suited to bat higher in the order. His best cricket has been at no.4… I think he’s a better player than the other three openers they’re talking about technically and their first-class records and Test records, plus he has the bonus of being a gun fielder and he can bowl 140 kilometres an hour.”

“If you want a soft landing, the West Indies is a soft landing because they’re obviously struggling in Test cricket at the moment and that’s the chance to put someone at the top of the order to let them find their feet and let them build for the tougher challenges down the track,” said Katich on SEN Radio.

On Friday, Marsh ruled out a possibility of him opening the batting in Tests, a role from which left-handed batter Travis Head has also himself distanced from. “I can speak on that from experience having opened for Australia when I never did it at first class level, it can be done (to have Green at the top).”

“It’s just a mindset adjustment. I actually found it suited because I batted so much at no.3 for WA or NSW back in the day that getting out there straight away was better for me at that stage of my career because you don’t waste nervous energy sitting around,” concluded Katich.