Veteran T20 all-rounder Chris Green has finally been named to make his first class debut, playing for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield against Western Australia.
Green, who is 29 years of age, has spent most of his career playing in T20 leagues around the world.
The bowling all-rounder has managed 164 T20 matches, playing in the Caribbean, India, England and Pakistan, as well as in the Canadian competition with the Toronto Nationals.
He has also been a permanent fixture of the Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, racking up 164 T20 matches, where he has taken 130 wickets at 28.73 and scored 1034 runs at an average of just over 15 and strike rate of 132.
So invested in T20 cricket has Green been, he has only managed 9 List A matches for New South Wales, where he has taken 12 wickets at 20.83 and scored 82 runs at 27.33.
Involved in the Caribbean Premier League until the end of September, Green took 4 for 20 against Tasmania in a one-day Cup game last week, having gone wicketless for Northern District in a first grade premier cricket contest against Fairfield-Liverpool the two weeks prior.
Green could have been involved in a T20 league this summer, but decided against it, fighting for a place in the New South Wales team.
"It was an easy decision for me cricket wise," Green told AAP on Monday.
"I have never played a first-class fixture. I am one who always wants to test my skills. And then in that arena, particularly from the mental side of things.
"When I first started playing cricket I didn't even know about the T20 realm.
"The pathways was to play for NSW and Australia. I guess I have gone in a non-traditional route to get there."
Green is joined in the side by a returning Mickey Edwards and Toby Gray, who will debut.
Gray plays alongside Green at Northern District, and has taken 16 wickets at 18 in first grade cricket this summer.
Western Australia have won the toss and are batting first at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
New South Wales: Kurtis Patterson (capt), Daniel Hughes, Jason Sangha, Moises Henriques, Matthew Gilkes, Hayden Kerr, Baxter Holt, Chris Green, Chris Tremain, Toby Gray, Mickey Edwards.
Western Australia: Sam Whiteman (capt), Cameron Bancroft, Teague Wyllie, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Fanning, Josh Philippe, D'Arcy Short, Matthew Kelly, Charlie Stobo, Corey Rocchiccioli, David Moody.
