The Ashes: Former Australian captain Kim Hughes prescribes Cam Green more time in the middle amid form slump

Former Australian captain Kim Hughes has urged selectors to let Cam Green battle through a form slump in the middle, fearful he would otherwise be consigned to the nets. Green has come under selection scrutiny and could be facing the axe for the first time in his Test career after a series of frustrating dismissals and with back-up all-rounder Beau Webster waiting in the wings. He ran himself out trying to take a radical single in the first innings on 17 and was caught behind, slashing at a short and wide ball from Ben Stokes in the second innings for 19. The all-rounder also sent down just five balls in the match. It comes after he was demoted from No.5 to No.7 in the order. There are no domestic red-ball matches or tour games before the end of the Ashes, which mean Green would simply watch on in Sydney. While he could be parachuted into a side, he is not contracted to a Big Bash League team. Hughes — who was the Subiaco-Floreat product’s junior coach — said Green would be “lucky” to retain his place and that Webster could be considered stiff to miss out, but was fearful dropping him would worsen his slump. “What he needs is a couple of hours out in the middle and to play in inverted commas ‘normal’ shots without being clever,” he told The West Australian. “The reality is, even if you drop him, where is he going to play?” WA batting great Simon Katich led the criticism of Green after his second-innings dismissal on Saturday, labelling his batting “predetermined rubbish”. He also copped heat for a reckless shot under lights in the Brisbane Test when he backed away to the leg side and attempted to blaze a Brydon Carse ball through the covers. Hughes said the rapid scoring rate in the series could be playing on Green’s mind. “Something that just happens and you go ‘where did that come from, Cam’” he said. “I would think there’s too many things in mind. It sounds simple, but the basics never change, you watch it, hit it and have fun and the rest goes in the bin.” Green opened up on his battles in Australian conditions on Sunday and said he feels more pressure while playing at home. “Probably at the start of my career I was really nervous playing at home,” he told the ABC. “There is more expectation, a home crowd, and I really took a while to get used to that. “I feel like I have got over that hurdle, so maybe I’ve just been relaxed on the road to start my career, a little bit less eyeballs and it just happens to be that way at the moment.