Vice-captain Shane Watson had better prepare himself for a crash course in captaincy starting today. The Australians fly out to the West Indies tomorrow for a five-ODI, two-Twenty20, three-Test schedule, with a huge question mark over incumbent captain Michael Clarke’s availability.
Clarke has already missed four matches out of six in the last three weeks, and most likely will miss today’s finals decider against Sri Lanka in Adelaide with his back related hamstring problems.
Former skipper Ricky Ponting filled in for the ODIs against Sri Lanka at the SCG and India at the Gabba, his last two appearances as an Australian ODI player before he was dropped; Watson for the India-Sri Lanka games at the SCG and MCG.
Sri Lanka won both those games by 8 wickets and 9 runs; Australia won both against India by 110 and 87.
As Sri Lanka has won four of the six games against Australia in this series, there will be a temptation to play Clarke today, no matter the consequences.
There’s no argument Clarke is important to the side, but that would be insanity.
My medical mail is surgery as the only avenue to correct the problem, and that means at least two months rehab.
But it appears the skipper is more intent on playing a form of Russian roulette with his hamstrings.
So it would be far more prudent to cut the mustard now and appoint Watson captain of all formats starting today and on-going through the Caribbean.
If by some miracle Clarke can make it later, so be it – a big bonus.
But in the interim, let’s have stability at the top. And there’s no more important role than the captain. Three captains in six matches is hardly stable.
How ironic is it that Watson, who was incessantly injury-prone early in his career and has overcome a recent calf injury that cost him three months off duty, is poised to take over from an injury-prone skipper.
And Watson will do a good job.
He’s only tossed the international coin twice, but he has a sharp cricket brain, he’s both positive and aggressive, and there’s no doubting his skills as an all-rounder.
It’s how he paces himself from here on in that means so much to his team.
Heaven forbid if he breaks down again and the selectors are forced to find an overnight captaincy replacement on tour.
Which makes it vital the selectors don’t appoint an official vice-captain for the West Indies.
Tradition has it in Australian cricket the v-c is always the next captain. No questions asked.
Selectors broke with tradition when they named Ponting as captain over v-c David Warner for the first game Clarke missed in this series.
That was the exception to the “rule”. It’s extremely doubtful that will ever happen again.
So leave the options open with no v-c, especially as the captaincy candidates after Watson are thin on the ground.
Oracle
Guest
Watson is every chance to do a shoulder tossing the coin. He is not the solid choice
Bearfax
Guest
Hey I'm available for the job if there are no suitable takers.
Bearfax
Guest
Make Shaun Marsh captain. He's obviously been Micky's pin up boy for a long time......who cares that he cant score runs.
Margaret R.
Guest
That sounds like a great idea Jimbo. How would the Australian cricket players accept that solution?
Hansie
Guest
Remind me again, how many tests did Shane Watson play in the 2011-12 Australian summer?
Tom Bridge
Roar Pro
I fail to see the wisdom in Shane Watson being made captain for two reasons. First and most importantly, Shane Watson is injured more regularly than just about any other player in the Australian team, even if Clarke has had issues in recent times. Second, I think that a chap heading toward the later years of his career should probably not be made captain, especially when combined with ongoing injury problems which could at any time end his career prematurely, even though it has not to date. One thing is beyond doubt, Shane Watson would not provide a stable option as captain.
Lucan
Watson already does plenty of television ads. So he's got half the captain's job down pat. ;)
Red Kev
Guest
Which is why I think Forrest and Bailey are in the mix; both have significant domestic captaincy experience as well as good form at the moment. Marsh and Khawaja both had the form (now lost) but neither had the leadership heft of Forrest and Bailey.
Pope Paul VII
Guest
Interestingly cricinfo is saying one dayers only. However the first test is in 4 weeks. In footy parlance hammys are usually 6 weeks. Be very surprising if he fronts up or is any sort of form for tests. I don't think its a big deal if Watto is the man. His form is more concern than his captaincy. Anyway old man Punter is on hand. The big question is who will slot in the middle order? The should take an extra bat as well although that may have been part of the Wadey plan.
Samuel Candido
Roar Rookie
Bring back Punter
Jammy
Guest
Watson is a big an injury risk as Clarke as well as being immature out of form with the bat and tentative with the ball, inexperienced as a captain and frankly, not too bright. He will captain the ODI segment of the West Indies tour but heaven help us if he ever captains us in a test. And Warner is pretty much the same mould as Watson bar the injuries and batting woes. There is a significant leadership vacuum in this Australian side behind Clarke.
Jimbo Jones
Guest
SOS to Ponting? Or is he going to be too big of a backwards step?
Rugby Diehard
Guest
x 2 Red Kev, not many supporters for you here David! I think everyone agrees that: 1. questionable fitness 2. heavy workload as a top line bowler and bat Do not a recipe for a Captain maketh...
A1
Guest
Suggesting Australia needs stability at the top and should therefore appoint the most injury prone Australian cricketer in recent memory to the captaincy, is complete and utter lunacy. David, Watson is just four games back from injury himself. And he was out for over 3 months, missing the entire Indian Test series. And it was far from an isolated event, he gets hurt a lot. A lot less than Michael Clarke actually. That makes no sense at all.
Southern Waratah
Guest
Where's Katich now? Perfect fill in captain...
Brett McKay
Expert
Clarke was ruled out of tonight's game late yesterday afternoon, so there won't be any temptation to play him tonight. He may or may not miss some or all of the ODIs in the Windies. And Watson will be the stand-in captain, quite obviously. But even if he does get injured himself, there's still plenty of options - there's still Warner, Bailey is in the Windies squad, Forrest has captained Queensland and the Brisbane Heat, at least one Hussey (though Mike still might be burned by losing the Chappell-Hadlee series in NZ a few years ago). Heck, even Haddin would be an option..
Dan
Guest
I'm not quite sure what your point is David? It's quite obvious Watson will be captain for the west indies unless Clarke is fit, so what are you trying to tell us exactly? -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
sledgeross
Guest
SOS George Bailey....... Cant say I agree Lordy, Watson is just as likely to break down getting on the Qantas jet to Jamaica. I would prefer Watson to learn the ropes a bit first (as you pointed out, he has a sharp brain but little experience). The only person I can think of in the team with captaincy experience is Dave Hussey, besides that though the the cupboard is pretty bare, so maybe you do have a point!
Red Kev
Guest
No David it's lunacy. Shane Watson, Mr "subject to fitness" himself as captain? I doun't doubt he's a decent leader but why bother - whoever is made vice-captain will lead more games than he will.
brendon
Guest
how is watson anymore stable... 10 years of international cricket and he's been fit for about 3