Travis Head in huge Aussie move amid Cameron Green fallout at World Cup

Cameron Green (pictured right) has been cut from the Australian starting XI against New Zealand at the World Cup. (Images: Twitter/Getty Images)

Cameron Green has been axed from the Australian starting XI with opener Travis Head returning to open with David Warner against New Zealand. Head has been edging closer to a return for a week and has finally come back into the Australian line-up with Australia’s best One Day International batter this year back on board.

Australia face a huge battle against No.2 placed New Zealand in the trans-Tasman battle. Head broke his hand during the ODI series against South Africa six weeks ago but Australia opted not to replace him in their squad, hoping he would be available later in the tournament.

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The swashbuckling South Australian had been expected to break into the side against the Dutch but coach Andrew McDonald opted to give him another four days to recover. And Aussie fans will be excited to see the return of Head for one of Australia’s most important group stage games.

But in a brutal move, Green made way for the opener with Mitchell Marsh dropping down the order. This comes as Smith said he wanted to bat at No.3.

Labuschagne had looked set to drop out of the side in the event Head returned, but impressed in the last-start defeat of the Netherlands and retains his spot. Australia entered the match without either of their genuine all-rounders, Green and Marcus Stoinis.

Neither have impressed so far in the tournament, which has seen Australia work their way into the tournament after a poor start. In New Zealand’s only change, all-rounder Jimmy Neesham replaces Mark Chapman, who has been withdrawn with a calf injury.

Travis Head (pictured) has returned to the Australian XI. (Photo by Darrian Traynor-ICC/ICC via Getty Images)

The 29-year-old left-hander says he feels gratitude to selectors for being given the chance to return to the squad, especially having missed out on the 2019 tournament. “It’s not something that I expected at the time,” Head said of the selectors’ faith.

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“Obviously there was a range of emotions through those three or four days after the injury to think that I missed a chance again to be involved in a World Cup.

“Now it’s a case of day-by-day getting better and hopefully I can contribute at the end and, I guess, pay a bit of the faith back.”

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