Shane Watson - (AP Photo/Gautam Singh)
Move aside Ricky Ponting, you’ve done enough for Australia. Michael Clarke? You had the chance to step up and inherit the throne and blew it spectacularly. And memo to Mitchell Johnson: any chance of turning up for a whole Test series rather than the odd spectacular day mixed in with utter rubbish?
No, in this summer of discontent for Australian cricket and it’s disgruntled fans, one man has emerged from the carnage and established himself as the new superstar of the game in this country – the rejuvenated Shane Watson.
One of the few players to emerge from Australia’s disastrous Ashes campaign with his reputation intact (if not enhanced), Watson is now clearly the team’s number one asset across all three forms of the game.
This point was spectacularly emphasized on Sunday evening when Watson single-handedly chased down England with a blistering 161 not out, the final exclamation point being his towering six to bring up a much-needed victory for his country.
Less than a week earlier in Adelaide, the all-rounder scorched a quickfire 59 as well as capturing 4 for 15 in a Herculean effort that just failed to drag his limp team-mates to a Twenty20 victory over the same opposition.
In a summer where most of the team has looked disinterested, Watson wears his emotions on his sleeve, appearing to be (along with Peter Siddle and Mike Hussey) one Australian cricketer who genuinely “cares” about the team’s current predicament.
Whether it be strapping on the pads to open the batting, or bowling the last over of a nail-biting match, Watson has won over even his most ardent critics with his willingness to accept the pressure and responsibility of tough situations on his broad shoulders.
With his heroic performances of late, the strapping Queenslander is sure to be the first name picked on the Australian team sheet. However, it wasn’t that long ago that Watson was considered a vain “pretty boy” with a failing body better suited to photo shoots than the gruelling world of international cricket.
Widely criticised as an underachiever and on the outer, some hard decisions needed to be made. Firstly, a self-imposed booze ban and a fanatical attitude to fitness left nobody in any doubt as to Watson’s commitment and dedication to securing a permanent international birth.
The faith and support of Shane Warne has also been an important factor in his meteoric rise to the summit of Aussie cricket. Snapped up by Warne’s Rajasthan Royals IPL franchise in the event’s inaugural year, the legendary leg-spinner demanded of Watson the performances his immense talent warranted. He responded with ‘Man of the Series’ honours as the Royals became the first ever champions of the revolutionary competition.
Having achieved success in Australia, as well as the seaming wickets of England and the slow turning tracks of India, Watson has supplanted Ponting and Clarke as Australia’s premier batsman on all surfaces.
His bowling too can be destructive, as evidenced by hauls of 6 for 33 and 5 for 40 against Pakistan in England last winter.
Headed for his second consecutive Allan Border Medal, it is surprising that a cricketer of Watson’s ability and instincts hasn’t been mentioned in recent captaincy talks given the clouded future of the current captain and his deputy.
With sensational performances on the field and a stable and unassuming personal life off it, Australian cricket could do a lot worse than have this man at the helm of our uncertain cricketing future.
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