Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has been given plenty of chances, and faces the chop. There’s no doubting his talent, but it’s not showing on the scoreboard.
This calendar year Watson, predominately a batsman who sometime bowls, has scored 28, 17, 23, 9, 17, 5, 13, 46, 30, 20, 19, and 18 to average a tick over 20 in a dozen digs.
He hasn’t scored a half-century since December last year, with 83 against Sri Lanka at the MCG, nor a Test ton since Mohali against India in October 2010.
In fact, he has only reached three figures twice in 81 visits to the crease, although there are four 90s and three 80s in that time.
But lack of consistent runs isn’t Watson’s only problem; it’s where to bat him.
He prefers to open, where he averages 41.79, well above his career average of 34.50. But when he bats down the order, he’s only averaging in the mid 20s.
But in this Ashes series there are five Australia opening batsmen: Watson, Chris Rogers, David Warner, Usman Khawaja, and Phil Hughes.
So selectors face the almost impossible task of finding the right combination to get the baggy greens off to a decent start.
When Watson should be a bonus, he’s actually become a liability.
He batted four in the second dig at Old Trafford, when the Australians were robbed of a deserved victory by rain.
Skipper Michael Clarke’s 187, Steve Smith’s 89, Rogers’ 64, Mitchell Starc’s 66*, and Brad Haddin’s 65 proved on the opening days there were runs there for the taking, while Watson made 19.
But the 32-year-old isn’t the selectors’ only problem with the Ashes gone, two Tests to go in England, and five in Australia.
They can start with what to do with offie Nathan Lyon after his 1-103 off 38 overs at Old Trafford, and the 19-year-old left-armer Ashton Agar’s 2-248 off 84 overs in the first two Tests.
Neither figures are too flash.
But Agar’s the best bet. He will be a vital part of the future, and he can bat, as he proved on debut with an all-time Test best 98 for an 11 batsman.
He’s averaging 34 in the Sheffield Shield in his 13 appearances for Western Australia in the lower order.
Deadly accurate paceman Jackson Bird cannot be ignored any longer.
In his only two Tests before he was injured, Bird claimed 11 wickets at 16.18, and in 22 Shield games for Tasmania, 107 at 19.99.
Roughly five first-class wickets a match for virtually nothing. How can he possibly be just a nets bowler and a drinks-waiter?
If Watson keeps being selected with his figures, how can Bird be denied his?
The fourth Ashes Test begins on Friday at Chester-le-Street.
It’s a dead rubber, but the selectors can make it work to the team’s advantage with a mixture of form players, and looking to the future.
Try Rogers, Warner, Khawaja, Clarke, Hughes, Smith, Haddin, Agar, Siddle, Harris, and Bird.
Rod Marsh and Darren Lehmann, make your move.
zatoo77
Guest
The idea was pick a team that can play both 1 dayers and tests with untried young players. They pretty much ended up no where didn't they
Darren
Guest
Don't pick bowlers on potential nor because they bat better. Pick the best bowlers for now. Lyon is a better option than Agar -now. Lyon was clearly more dangerous than Agar. Starc takes wickets and with Harris and Siddle provdes good variety. Keep the top 6 and back them in for the remaining two tests. The openers have not been the problem this serious - albeit they haven't gone on with the job. We've got much more from our opening partnerships than England have. Watson should be backed until at least the end of the series.
Hookin' YT
Guest
Amen
Hookin' YT
Guest
What are you smoking? Starc 38 wickets from 11 tests. Watson 63 wickets from 44 tests Ones a fast bowler the other a primadonna. Their batting averages low 30s
Hookin' YT
Guest
Have you spoken to him? If you know something please share.
Oracle
Guest
And doesn't move like a Glacier in the field either
Rob na Champassak
Roar Guru
'And as for Agar he’s a better prospect now after just two Tests than Lyon after 23,' See, now that is the exact stupidity that has seen us go through spinner after spinner since Warne left. We pick players on the basis of their 'potential' after two matches, and drop them with disappointment after a few more matches for the latest up-and-comer. Anybody suggesting that Agar is a better spinner than Lyon is completely ignoring the fact that Lyon turns and flights the ball more, and gets the batsmen to play. He has dismissed plenty of good batsmen (including Tendulkar four times), and has three five-wicket hauls to his name. He is the fastest Australian off-spinner to fifty wickets too. His record is actually not that different to Graham Swann's at the same stage in his career. Lyon just needs a bit of faith and persistence. And we need Lyon.
GiantScrub
Guest
I'll see your Doolan and raise you Mark Cosgrove, though I will grant that Cozzie has better hands. I saw some footage of Maddinson's recent games; he's not actually as terrible as I thought he would be. I can see a bit of KP in him. For now Warner is pretty out of form, but it's not like anybody else (under 35) is banging down the selection door. So he gets to stay, probably at least until Brisbane is done.
Nudge
Guest
Well said tailender
davos
Guest
sh.t I forgot smith..he should play
Ray
Guest
My team for the 4th test- Warner Rogers Kwaja Clarke Smith Voges Haddin Faulkner Siddle Harris Bird
davos
Guest
I reckon that's drawing a long bow ....comparing a young steve Waugh to ooosman.......doesn't have ..never will have.... half the fight grit and determination as tuggah...people used to invoke his name regularly when naming someone to bat for your life ....sorry but I cant see this bloke even getting close to that ....you don't get a Steve Waugh come along very often
DC-NZ
Guest
Thats a great team T Cooper, or the best one for Australia right now. I am a Black Caps fan, but Faulkner, Bird, Agar, Uzzie, and the rest would make a good, hungry unit. S Smith has shown the aptitude for test cricket. good on him. Just pick that team and stick with it. Stick and pick!
Aussie in London
Guest
I agree AMAC. This side's full of blokes, not for the position they play but because of the potential they bring with the oposite disciplin. Watson, Smith, Warner are picked not because they are the best test bats, but because they can bowl a bit. Agar and Starc etc aren't great but are handy with the bat. Haddin is the worst pair of gloves in the land but he is suposedly handy with the bat. It's like everything is a compromise. Why cant we pick a side where all 11 are best at their position and if they can do a bit with the ball or the bat, then it's a bonus. Getting back to Watto, I like his bowling, his economy is impressive, but his batting is pants. He either has to go down the order or go. My preference is he has to go. In terms of bowling, he can't deal with the demands of test cricket and bowl spells. In terms of his batting, as David points out, no ton since 2010 (22 tests), this is glaringly sh*thouse for an opener! Someone asked in a previous article about comparing Watson's batting to others with 43 tests. I thought about this in another way... Mattehw Elliott is considered as a bit of a test failure, but how does Watto stack up against him? Elliott: 21 matches, ave 33.5, 3×100′s, 4×50′s, highest 199 Watson: 43 matches (not inc. the last test), ave 34.9, 2×100′s, 19×50′s, highest 126 Obviously the situation is different, Elliott was in a great side and any poor performance is really highlighted and Watto's performance can hide in the current side, but numbers wise, he's not an opener. I just don't see what the selectors see in this guy? I can't believe they are that blinded by his bowling to continue with him as an opener. He's 32 and we dont really know what he can bring to the test side.
Ads
Guest
The selections for the A tour seem to lack any overall strategy, surely Bailey, Doolan, Silk, Maddinson, Voges and Henriques should have been the top 6, arguably Ferguson in the squad. Just don't think Finch and Maxwell are realistically the next cabs off the rank.
davos
Guest
sad but probably true
Evan Askew
Guest
If we had played the full day Lyon would have being a good chance at bowling England out to achieve victory. Root had no idea against him and he was geting significant turn of the normal parts of the wicket without the aid of the rough. I think he is averaging somewhere around the Vettori like average of 33. Along with Hauritz who was unfairly dropped, he is the best spinner we have had since the retirement of Warne and McGill. Expecting Lyon to be as good as Warne and Haddn to be as good as Gilchrist with the batt is folly. And that is what I feel the Australian cricket public is doing.
davos
Guest
Simon....I can feel your feaux confected outrage ..... a bit like watso himself .. somehow I think you protesteth too much
davos
Guest
james what about .... warner ,rogers hughes khawaja, Clarke haddin faulklner starc siddle lyon harris
DingoGray
Roar Guru
I wish people would give up on this Sam Robson pipe dream.....Guys he's not going to play for Australia..... Lets move on and develop players who do want to be part of the Australian Cricket set up.