Can open, bowl and catch but can Watson captain?
Columnist By Kersi Meher-Homji, 31 Jan 2011 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Alan Davidson, Andrew Symonds, Australian Cricket, Cricket, Shane Watson
When I was writing my book, Cricket’s Great All-rounders in 2008, I consulted Alan Davidson on whether I should include Andrew Symonds and Shane Watson in the book.
He suggested that I may include Symonds among ODI all-rounders but not Watson: “He can’t play three matches in a row without breaking down!”
And when ‘Watto’ Watson was pitch-forked in the third Ashes Test at Birmingham in July 2009 as an opener, I was among the majority to ridicule that selection. “What, at the expense of the exciting stroke-player Phil Hughes? Watson will breakdown before the fourth Test commences”, was the cynical verdict among the critics.
How Watto the wizard proved us all wrong.
And that too as an opening bat! In his opening debut, he top-scored in the first innings with 62 (adding 85 runs with Simon Katich for the first wicket) and made 53 in the second. He not only did not break down in the remaining Tests but totalled 240 runs at 48.00.
Since that July 2009, Watson has played non-stop cricket in England, India and Australia – standing tall and mighty like the Rock of Gibraltar when more famous names like Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke drooped and fell.
It was not so much as proving his critics wrong but reinventing himself by training hard. He gave up alcohol but not his dream.
The Roar readers may groan but the Shane Watson story is a fairy tale combining Cinderella and the ugly duckling turning into a swanky swan.
His statistics are impressive, 1953 runs at 41.55 with two centuries (top score 126), and fifteen 50s in 27 Tests. His first century (vs. Pakistan on the MCG in December 2009) became dramatic because it followed 93 in the first innings and 89 and 96 against the West Indies earlier in the month.
Why dramatic? He reached his debut hundred on the MCG thanks to a single from a dropped catch. But a week after this lucky ton, he made 97 in the January 2010 Sydney Test Australia won with some help from the visiting Pakistanis.
When Australian batsmen collapsed in the recent Ashes series, Watson, Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin provided some backbone.
Watson has also taken 43 Test scalps at 31.41 in his Test career with 6-51 as his best.
His stats are also workmanlike in ODIs; 3302 runs at 40.76 (with five centuries, his top-score being an aggressive 161 not out against England on the MCG last fortnight) in 122 ODIs. He also took 126 wickets and 38 catches. With 394 points, he is ranked no. 2 ODI all-rounder by ICC after Bangladesh’s Shakib Al Hasan (436 points).
Unknown to many, Watson has the highest batting average of 145.00 in the World Cup. In eight matches (six innings, five times not out) he scored 145 runs (highest score 65 not out). His Strike Rate of 170.58 is also a World Cup record.
So he can bat, bowl and catch in international cricket. But can he captain in view of uninspiring leadership by Ponting and Clarke in recent years?
In yesterday’s The Sun-Herald, Watson discussed the captaincy issue with Daniel Lane. “Of course it [Australian captaincy] appeals. It’s the greatest honour in Australian cricket.”
But he diplomatically added that Ponting and Clarke (and Cameron White in Twenty20 cricket) have done a great job for Australian cricket.
What do Roarers think of Shane Watson, aged 29, as a future Australian captain?
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- Explore:
- Alan Davidson, Andrew Symonds, Australian Cricket, Cricket, Shane Watson
January 30th 2011 @ 10:18pm
Adam said | January 30th 2011 @ 10:18pm | Report comment
being a very proud aussie but also a heritage linked to the west indies, I found myself in a situation a few years back when I felt it very difficult to support the Australian cricket team as in my view they had become rather arrogant and displayed some very unsportsmanlike behaviours on the field. Can Shane Watson captain? Absolutely! He has inspired me to once again take a very keen interest in our proud nations cricket team and believe once again that the aussies are the sporting men I admired as a young fella. He is an absolute gentlemen of the game and it is a credit to him for all the hard work he has put in over the years. His persistence has paid off and I have no doubt in this world that his inspirations would flow through the other team members as it has swept over me as a single supporter. Congratulations Shane Watson and also from a proud Queenslander to another….. Cheers Mate!
January 31st 2011 @ 8:06am
formeropenside said | January 31st 2011 @ 8:06am | Report comment
Watson’s not a Queenslander, the first thing he did was leave for Tasmania, and he currently plays for NSW.
January 31st 2011 @ 7:22pm
JohnB said | January 31st 2011 @ 7:22pm | Report comment
If he continues to do as well as he has been, he’s most definitely a Queenslander regardless of who he plays for. Johnson on the other hand is starting to look like he might be a Sandgroper after all.
February 1st 2011 @ 6:07pm
goffy1 said | February 1st 2011 @ 6:07pm | Report comment
Born and raised Queensland….. It’s where you’re from and where your heart is not where you’re living. It was well documented he was returning to ipswich, Queensland… home… to assist where he could with the floods.
January 31st 2011 @ 6:14am
sheek said | January 31st 2011 @ 6:14am | Report comment
Kersi,
I very nearly choked on my vegemite on toast when I read Watson’s captaincy aspirations in the Sunday papers.
Watson is an excellent all-rounder, but he has a long way to go to remove the perception of self-absorbed selfishness.
January 31st 2011 @ 7:54am
Vinay Verma said | January 31st 2011 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Kersi, Watson should have told Daniel Lane to look for another angle. It is disrespectful to the office of the Australian Captaincy when you have Clarke filling in and Ponting about to make a comeback. It is thoughtless journalism on the part of Lane and immature for Watson to respond.
Watson is playing good cricket and should concentrate on that . Captaincy should be bestowed. Not be audtioned for.
January 31st 2011 @ 8:26am
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 31st 2011 @ 8:26am | Report comment
I agree, Vinay. It’s in bad taste but makes a good story.
January 31st 2011 @ 6:08pm
damos_x said | January 31st 2011 @ 6:08pm | Report comment
Why is it in bad taste ? Should the others have some right to be incumbent & the anointed heir ? or should it be an honour going to the best man for the job who is definitely picked for his form then made captain ? or does our time honoured way of telling the guy he’s a shoe-in way before hand still hold it’s place ?
Watson would love to be captain & right now he’s about the only guy assured of his place in any form of the game. Everyone bar the selectors & Ponting realise it’s time for him to go & in our quaint style that means he’s dropped too, even Ricky agrees that he won’t go unless sacked, so off with his head I say.
Clarke doesn’t want any blood on his hands & seems to be a clone anyway so why beat around the bush, go back to State cricket & earn your spot again before you worry about whether you’ll call heads or tails whilst wearing a green cap.
As for Vinays bestowing of the big C, upon which which merits do we bestow ?
Surely continued good form & a tactical nous are crucial so at this point our 2 current heroes are ineligible.
February 1st 2011 @ 6:22pm
goffy1 said | February 1st 2011 @ 6:22pm | Report comment
I agree… I don’t see this as bad taste either. The other two guys (ponting and clarke) need to realise there are guys hot on their heels and we need a captain that can take the reins for at least 5 years. As for Clarke, he’s not our only option and just because he’s been vice captain for a number of years does not mean he should neccessarily be the one to take the captaincy as Ricky departs. I recall Shane Warne being a Vice Captain but never a captain! As for Ricky’s departure I probably think that’s time too. He has given our nation a great service and should hold his head high yet some of the world’s best have continued to play after relinquishing the captaincy and only benefited from it. Not only themselves but there teammates, and country. Tendulkar and Lara come to mind…… Why do we continue to reward the guys that are no longer delivering. India has had numerous captains over the years and it has not damaged them… actually I do believe they have continued to rise in the ranks as they waved at Australia on their fall down the ladder.
January 31st 2011 @ 8:33am
Vinay Verma said | January 31st 2011 @ 8:33am | Report comment
Kersi, for me the real story is Watson’s development as a cricketer. He is willing to take on more responsibility and is giving the team valuable options with his fielding,bowling and encouragement. Teams may have one captain but good teams have multiple leaders. Benaud had Harvey( who was ovewrlooked in favour of Benaud) and Davidson. They were happy to support the captain and did not covet his spot.
Watson can improve and another thirty percent will see him become even more valuable. He can get stronger mentally and go on to consistently big scores. he showed with his 161 that he can concentrate for long periods.
I will watch with interest his mental makeup every time he passes fifty.
January 31st 2011 @ 9:05am
Jammy said | January 31st 2011 @ 9:05am | Report comment
Watson has still not succeeded as an opener in test match cricket, 15 half centuries and only 2 centuries is proof of that. He would make a perfect 4 or 5 who bowled a 10 – 15 overs an innings. His slip catching is also less than spectaular but considering the other options, barring Ponting, he is the best we have at the moment. A captain? He is a very immature 29 year old and does not look to have the techinical nous to lead a test side. The one day side maybe.
January 31st 2011 @ 9:25am
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 31st 2011 @ 9:25am | Report comment
I also do not think much of Watson as a captain as he has no experience. But he proved many of us (myself included) wrong by succeeding as an opener and as an all-rounder, so why not as a captain. Of course Ponting should continue. But after him we need a player who is under 32. Mike Hussey will be 36 in May and Clarke has to regain his batting form and confidence.
Haddin is another possibility when Ponting calls it a day.
January 31st 2011 @ 9:34am
Brett McKay said | January 31st 2011 @ 9:34am | Report comment
Kersi, no first-class experience, for sure, but wasn’t Watson VC to Clarke in their Aust U19s side??
January 31st 2011 @ 10:40am
sheek said | January 31st 2011 @ 10:40am | Report comment
Vinay,
Love that line – ‘ captaincy should be bestowed. Not to be auditioned for’.
Which reminds me, after Allan Border had been Australian captain for 300-odd years (or so it seems), the ACB (as it was then called) actually interviewed 4 senior players in 1994 as his potential replacement – Mark Taylor (the successor), Ian Healy, David Boon & Steve Waugh.
Kersi,
Not having captained a first-class side is not necessarily a drawback. If I recall correctly, when Ian Chappell was elevated to the test vice-captaincy in 1968-69, Les Favell was his state captain.
Chappell gained the captaincy of Australia in his first season (1970-71) as captain of SA, who he also led to SS victory.
In 1978-79, when Kim Hughes replaced Graeme Yallop as captain, Hughes wasn’t even captain of his state side WA. John Inverarity was the captain.
Perhaps the classic is Richie Benaud. He toured South Africa in 1957-58 under the captaincy of Ian Craig (his state captain), whose deputy was Neil Harvey, from Victoria. In 1958-59, Harvey made the momentous decision to transfer to NSW, the home state of both Craig & Benaud.
When Craig became seriously ill, NSW selected Benaud as state captain in preference to Harvey, who had captained Victoria. The test selectors then did the same, naming Benaud captain & Harvey vice-captain of the national team. The rest, as they say, is history…..
I think a future captain can display leadership skills without actually being captain. Mike Hussey comes to mind in this regard, but his age is against him.
January 31st 2011 @ 11:04am
formeropenside said | January 31st 2011 @ 11:04am | Report comment
sheek, lets not forget that 78-79 was a pretty special set of circumstances, and if the ACB now had a complete do-over, with hindsight, I’m not sure they would make the same decision again.
January 31st 2011 @ 1:34pm
sheek said | January 31st 2011 @ 1:34pm | Report comment
FOS,
True.
They were weird times. Bobby Simpson wanted another season at the helm, but the ACB refused to guarantee his position, because he had been exposed in the Windies.
The next best alternative would have been John Inverarity. Like Simmo, Invers was an excellent specialist bat, outstanding slipper & useful part-time spinner, although not in the same class as Simmo in his heyday.
However, significantly, in 1978, Inverarity was 34 while Simpson was 42. Invers led WA to Sheffield Shield victory in 1971/2, 1972/3, 1974/5 & 1977/8. WA also won in 1976/7 under Rod Marsh’s captaincy while Invers spent a year in England.
So Inverarity was a highly regarded tactician & leader of men. We will never know how differently the Aussies might have performed under experienced guidance.
January 31st 2011 @ 11:04am
Kersi Meher-Homji said | January 31st 2011 @ 11:04am | Report comment
Very astute, Jammy, Brett and Sheek.
But personally, I don’t think Watson will make a good captain when Ponting retires. My choice is Katich.
January 31st 2011 @ 3:30pm
Rhys said | January 31st 2011 @ 3:30pm | Report comment
Kersi, you stated above needing a player under 32 to follow Ponting as captain, and then in the next sentence mentioned Michael Hussey will turn 36 in May (I assume to indicate his exclusion as a possible candidate?). Why then would you nominate Katich as your choice when he is going to turn 36 in August?
January 31st 2011 @ 1:21pm
jameswm said | January 31st 2011 @ 1:21pm | Report comment
I’m afraid Watto doesn’t have the grey matter for the job.
Then again, how long has Punter been captain for?
Before the next series, Punter should be dumped as test skipper. You just can’t lose 3 of 4 Ashes series and get off scot-free. Katich should be made captain of the test team, and stay there until someone else is ready. He deserves to be there on merit anyway.
Paine and Clarke look Katich’s likely successors, but we’ll have to see. I’d go for Paine personally, but he has a lot to prove first. Khawaja may be the other but I don’t think he’s ever captained much.
White has proven again his batting is too stiff and he isn’t up to being a test no.4 or 5.
January 31st 2011 @ 8:18pm
Lolly said | January 31st 2011 @ 8:18pm | Report comment
Everything I see and read says that it’s up to Punter as to when he drops himself from skipperdom. That’s wrong of course, as you say, his recent record is pretty damn poor, but I’m sure it’s so. He certainly seems to think it’s up to him.
January 31st 2011 @ 3:21pm
Saqlain said | January 31st 2011 @ 3:21pm | Report comment
I would like to make sure that captaincy should not be taken as plate of delicious dish which on even interval of time be distributed to all good performer of team. A player of 11 should perform and do his job well if any one is all-rounder he need to play role of same,and on doing this one can’t get ,and never be given captaincy. Leading a team is totally different subject it needs stamina of absorbing pressure and lead from front.