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Before Michael Clarke started his run of form, Shane Watson was opening the batting, bowling and was our most important player – his innings were getting us out of terrible positions.
Shane Watson was once our X-factor when no one else was there. He has fallen from grace however.
His injuries have been almost predictable and more frequent. As the South Africa Tour stands, our top order has stood up with two centuries, an 89 from debutant Alex Doolan and Shaun Marsh is making a strong argument to be named man of the match – this against the ‘best pace attack’ in the world.
Watson has not batted in form for as a while, innings such as the Perth Test have been a rarity, and there is no longer a place for him in our batting line-up.
I am a firm believer of introducing new, younger players into our current and was therefore pleased to see Doolan make his debut, as many ex-cricketers rated him very highly.
Doolan has done very well in this Test and should get another go, probably for the rest of the series.
Who else would you get rid of? Marsh? No. Steven Smith? No. Brad Haddin… keep dreaming. Michael Clarke? Out of the question.
Chris Rogers is the only person who has not earned his place during this Test, but he has enough runs during the Ashes to keep him secure.
If Doolan or Marsh did under-perform, why replace them with Watson when Phi Hughes has done everything to get into the team bar being selected to play.
What else is left for Watson? Ah, his bowling.
While his bowling is supreme is it worth his poor batting?
Our current bowlers performed well with contributing little to the bowling effort him in the Ashes, while they murdered a few Poms’ careers.
The same bowling line-up is currently dismantling one of the best batting line-ups in the world.
What does Watson have that no one else can provide, or that we need? Nothing.
I used to be a proud backer of Watson, defending him and believing he could return to form and be a world-class player but we no longer have the time to wait for Watson, as we head towards the 2015 World Cup and set our sights on the #1 Test ranking.
James Faulkner has proved to be a more-than-capable all-rounder and had he not been injured, Marsh or Doolan would not have played this Test and Faulkner would have been an X-factor.
When he is fit, Faulkner should take Watson’s place as our all-rounder.
Watson must be left behind, we cannot afford to have dead baggage on our quest to cricketing glory.
He must be forgotten and a new era be ushered in.
With a batting average of 36.33 and 68 wickets from 77 innings, what are we missing really?
His 22 50s and four centuries at 32 years of age does not keep him in the team for his batting. His bowling? Well we have had a tonne of success without it.
Steve Smith could also bowl more now he is confident with his batting (a future captain in my opinion).
We have the talent and the people to replace Watson, previously the only thing that was keeping him in the team.
No. Watson’s time is up.
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