Fragile but gifted Watson frustrates more often than not
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By Mr Sports, 7 Nov 2009 Mr Sports is a Roar Pro
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, Indian cricket, ODIs, Shane Watson
Australia's Shane Watson plays a shot off the bowling of England's Graeme Swann on the first day of the third cricket test match between England and Australia at Edgbaston cricket ground in Birmingham, England, Thursday, July 30, 2009. AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
I have had it with Shane Watson. On Thursday night, Watson looked invincible for 89 balls. With his powerful yet tragically fragile physique and remarkable timing, it seemed like the biggest challenge wasn’t whether he could reach the boundary but which part of the ground he was going to hit it to.
Once Watson clears his front leg, he seems able to punch the ball to any part of the ground he likes.
Even the ball that eventually dismissed him was more a testament to the formidable skill of the Turbanator than anything else.
Harbhajan produced just a little more zip with the ball that got Watson and the glistening Australian wasn’t able to get around quite quickly enough.
And do not be mistaken, like his forebear in the opening role, Adam Gilchrist, Watson was never at any stage simply slogging or throwing the bat at the ball. His technique is a thing of beauty and one or two late cuts had me thinking of Mark Waugh (the man with the best hands I have ever seen in cricket).
No to be content with producing an imperious display with the bat Watson had the audacity to then go out and play a crucial role with the ball as well, including removing the dangerous Yuvraj.
So what we have here is a fellow who can play any sort role with the bat, is a genuine contributor with the ball, and is impeccable in the field. He has the body of the Boag’s Strongarm logo-man and seems friendly to the media.
And I’m sure he’s very romantic as well.
But seriously, is there anything he can’t do? Oh yeah, that’s right, he can’t stay healthy for ten seconds.
Watson was doing exactly the same things as he is doing now in early 2002, seven and a half years ago! Since his one day debut in March 2002, Watson has appeared in less than 100 ODIs (or roughly half of the total the Australian team has played in that span).
For a guy who looks like a slightly more muscular version of Achilles, he has been remarkably fragile. Whether that is down to bad luck or bad management is pretty much irrelevant at this point because every Australian cricket fan is just waiting for the next injury.
Does anybody seriously hold out any realistic hope that Watson will play throughout the upcoming series against the Windies and the Pakistanis? Heck do we even expect him to play the remaining games against India?
In baseball, players are rated by whether they have the five “tools” necessary to be a successful player.
Can a player run, throw, hit, hit for power and field. Cricket is not all that different really.
To be a truly great all rounder you need to have the tools to field, to bowl and to bat in any situation whether it be grinding it out on a sub-continent dustbowl or attacking on a WACA trampoline.
Shane Watson has all of those tools and every so often we see flashes of the great player he could have (and hopefully will still) become.
But all too often, he has been cruelled by injuries and Australian cricket fans are left chasing a flickering light that never seems to get any closer.
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Freud of Football said | November 7th 2009 @ 5:30am | Report comment
You’re a long way off the mark here Mr Sport.
Firstly, Watson and Mark Waugh shouldn’t be spoken of in the same breath, a few late cuts doesn’t make Watson anything like ME Waugh. He was the finest batsman, from a pure batting perspective of the last generation. Yes he mightn’t have made the runs of Lara, Tendulkar, Ponting or his brother but he was the finest, most elegant technician you could hope to see, something Watson with a solid technique at best, is not.
Further it is most certainly not irrelevant why Watson is constantly injured. He is an extremely talented all-round athlete but he cannot handle the rigours of modern cricket, Australian selectors must manage him better, there is no reason Watson cannot be rested for a few games when there are so many talented young players waiting for a game and maybe then he wont be taking 6 month breaks every year.
Hansie said | November 7th 2009 @ 9:52am | Report comment
The irony of Australia’s current run of injuries is that Watson has remained healthy while all others have fallen apart!
Shayxin said | November 7th 2009 @ 4:15pm | Report comment
Yup, what Hansie said. Your point on Watson getting injured USED TO be correct, but after the ridiculous 6-month “off-season” of constant cricket, the only member of our bowling attack, full- or part-time, is Watson. So maybe his body has finally got it together after all.
Dave1 said | November 9th 2009 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Watson may be like Dizzy Gillespie who was injured a lot early in his career, then came good.
cos said | November 10th 2009 @ 7:04pm | Report comment
could this really have been written nov 7 2009??
well, i can see the humour you are trying to present – the tragic cycle of desire and dissapointment of the serious cricket fan for what is, it now must be said, a seriously ‘good find’. but the timing could have been a bit better. watson is one of the few ‘left standing’ – he has outlasted 9 of his teammates, for gods sake!
whether injuries will eventually flare up again in the distant future is another matter. but it should be noted he has changed his action – his bowling having been a major cause of previous injuries, and has found some sports medicine specialists who have been able to help him out a great deal. it seems to have done the trick.
youd think thommo will be regretting the ‘kmart alrounder’ line he made several yearsago. then again, being thommo, he will probably take credit for his rise!! (or have i underestimated him?)