Sheffield Shield: Western Australia are leaving the door open for injured all-rounder Cam Green to play ultimate | USAEMALL.com

Sidelined all-rounder Cam Green is eyeing a return in the Sheffield Shield final — if Western Australia reach it — but it is now unlikely he would play cricket before the end of the regular season.

Green had back surgery in October and has sat out the entire Australian summer.

The 26-year-old is in line to return as a specialist batter to Australia’s Test team for June’s World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord’s and is slated for a five-match stint with second division county side Gloucestershire.

At last month’s Australian Cricket Awards, he flagged he was keen to play at least WA’s final regular season match against Victoria, which begins at the WACA Ground on March 15.

But The West Australian can reveal Green still has “boxes to tick” in his recovery. While he has been running and batting in the nets for weeks, Green is yet to start fielding and throwing, which would be a major step towards returning.

He is not expected to even attempt bowling until after the WTC final, when attention turns to Australia’s home Ashes series next summer. There is also a three-Test tour to the West Indies later in the year.

The shield final will be Adelaide from March 26 and WA will play off for a fourth consecutive title if they beat both New South Wales — in a match at the WACA Ground starting later on Thursday — and Victoria across the next two weeks.

WA have not shied away from making major selection calls for the biggest game of the season. Last year selectors picked Cooper Connolly to make his debut in the win over Tasmania, replacing the injured Cam Bancroft, and called on D’Arcy Short to open the batting.

Green has not played since he was injured on a white-ball tour of the United Kingdom in September.

“He’s been training with us and he is facing bowlers now and he is running fully, I think he has still got some boxes to tick,” WA bowling coach Tim MacDonald told The West Australian.

“It’s just the final steps in all honesty.

“I know he’s talking about the possibility of a shield final if we make it and then he’ll head to the UK and play for Gloucestershire.

“If we make a shield final and he’s available it would be a massive bonus for WA cricket.”

Green signed with Gloucestershire thanks to what the cash-strapped club has described as a “significant donation” from an anonymous member.

He will be captained at the club by State teammate Cam Bancroft, who has returned from his own serious injuries to play the shield match against New South Wales at the WACA Ground from Thursday.