Burns notice: Watson has two more Tests to prove himself

Bearfax is not arguing that 50 is not good enough. No one who knows cricket would argue that. Youth will get you 13 out of 520. Good call, Ausi.

You have made the point perfectly Bearfax - there is no point in arguing any more - it is blindingly obvious that 50's by top 3 batsmen are not adequate, yet Don keeps arguing for Watson. Rogers is scoring 50s at the moment, yet he accepts his career is on a knifeedga.I would not suggest Cowan - team chemistry is important. Talking about team chemistry, I am not sure that Watson contributes much. YOUTH please.

That's more than enough to bowl at...especially with Mitch Marsh in the attack. Both Watson and Mitch Marsh are batsmen. That they bowl is a bonus. You'll understand that one day. The concept of having only one all rounder, or two...or none is so passe. They are cricketers and deserve their spots because they are doing well. I don't know if you have noticed but the team the selectors have presented to the public is actually dominating.

As usual Don you are skewing the argument to justify keeping your favourites. Personally I think Watson is fine to keep his position if Mitch Marsh is dropped. As I see it he is still the best all rounder in Oz. But having two all rounders in the side places too much pressure on the rest of the batsmen and we end up relying on the bowlers to boost the runs. Neither are in my mind in the top ten batsmen in this country and both are there because of their bowling ability on top of adequate batting. So the question is do we retain Watson and drop M. Marsh or look to the future and retain M. Marsh and give Watson his golden watch. We've got away with it up to now using both because of some outstanding batting from Warner and Smith with Rogers beginning to show his skill again. Add to that some amazing batting from our bowlers and we've just got over the line in the first two tests against a side expected to be bull dozed. As for Shaun Marsh and his average 32, if all batsmen scored 32 and the remainder on average 15 each, we would be scoring on average a little over 250 an innings. No way would we win with that average. If you dont score a minimum of 350, on most grounds, chances are you will lose. So we cant afford to 'carry' inconsistent batsmen and poor averaging batsmen. Same with bowlers. You cant rely on two champion batsmen and the bowlers to pull you out of a mess time and again. At some time both Warner and Smith are going to have low scores in the same game. That's when you need other batsmen who you know can meet the challenge and arent there just making up the numbers.

Oh I'd keep Warner even if he had 10 failures. I'm suggesting Roarers who just always want to be dropping somebody will need to find a new target soon if Watson keeps performing. You criticize Marsh for a lack of consistency and here is a bloke averaging 32 who gets 32 in Brisbane and 32 yesterday. What clockwork! What reliability! Now if everybody gets their average, we'll get 432...enough to win anything.

Valid point Don, though you too often tend to make your arguments based on one or a few innings, which is irrelevant when one is looking for consistency. But Watson played well today and should be credited with that. As for Warner? Well he does have an average up around 50, so based on your argument he is potentially an all time great. A few misses in a row are irrelevant if the guy is generally scoring at an average near 50 an innings, not 35.5 like Watson is or 32 like Shaun Marsh is.

I'd be happy if he was out that way each innings for that score. That would set him down as an all time great #3 with a 50 plus average. A very impressive role in re building Australia's innings. It will be interesting now to see your reaction to Warner. A third failure on the trot will have you challenging his technique and calling for Cowan or Maddinson. Try to enjoy Australia's cricket. If a player scores a 50 and you criticize them, it's not hard to see who has the problem and it is not Watto.

Another classic Watson LBW today Don - the man is too leaden footed - he has had enough chances - the team is carrying him and there are too many passengers right now. Oroginally Ponting pushed his case - he was then in Tassie - since then inferior peformances and a rather down beat attitude - doesn't help. If he was a racehorse you would cull him - and get another.

His stand and deliver style is better suited down the order. I know they have a hole at three but the selectors won't give anyone more than a few tests to fill it, its ridiculous. Watson's technical problems have never been resolved and a good bowler will get him every time with a good spell of bowling to his multiple issues. He has experience so he should remain down the order and bowl more overs, that puts him in direct competition with M Marsh. Perhaps they can tag team with their various injury problems.

Clutching at chaff Donno, which is what Shaun Marsh best represents

Purple patches do it for me. Especially for a player of Marsh's class. 2012/13 is way to old and irrelevant. It suits Marsh haters...that's why they go back that far. The selectors are pulling just about every right rein at the moment. They know that a player like Marsh...in his current form...is the X-factor that gives an edge.

Don, if we look at Marsh's performance this season it certainly is very good,, not the best, but very good. But its only 7 innings. It boosts his overall average but he is still averaging around 36 overall. As for the last 2-3 years, he averaged in the 2012-13 season 19, he averaged in the 2013-14 season 36.6 and he is having a purple patch at present and is averaging 61.8 this Shield season. But its only half over so the season isn't complete. His overall Shield average since 2012-3 is 37.0. His average over the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons combined was 29.2.. I will however give him credit for the combined 2013-14 and half 2014-15 season where he is averaging over that period 45.5. Mind you there are several batsmen who exceed that average over that period also and assessing over only 1 1/2 seasons is too short a period to be seriously looking at overall performance. Three years yes because it is then looking at continuity. However in first class cricket Marsh has been in recent good form..but how long will that last given his history. Since the 2012-13 season he has only passed 50 on 6 occasions in 27 innings and been under 20 on 16 occasions. His one virtue is that having hit fifty his conversion rate to centuries was good in that period hitting the ton 4 times. But do we want such inconsistency in a test side. I think not. Look Don. If Shaun Marsh does a Cowan and over several seasons boosts his average into the 40s, it will then show that things have changed and in my mind he then deserves his test place consideration. But he's been stuck in the low to mid 30s for many years..

Nothing wrong with Watto's technique, Ausi. He has a technically perfect bowling action and has every shot in the book...especially on the front foot. His catching technique is impeccable. You might be referring to the forward defensive LBW issue...but that is one minor technical flaw. I suspect one of the reasons he has made it...and you are yet to make it...might be his superior understanding and practice of technique.

Why not consider Marsh in the last 2 years...not the last 6 years. No one gets picked on 3year old form or older. What does a 30 average have to do with anything? Consider his average this year...including his 200 against India A and his Test average. Form...not average. You stats people don't seem to know how stats work...and you certainly don't know how cricket works.

I hope you don't think that many 80s and 90s is a failure.

Bancroft has always been a keeper. It was line ball between him, Michael Johnson, Sam Whiteman and Tom Triffitt as WA's keeper when Whiteman grabbed the opportunity.

Methinks you are sledging a little Johnno. None of this comment has any relevance - Watson, a crock waitng to break down, technique wrong, bowl too much and he will break down - enough - to old - must go. Cripples all ove the place - Clarke, Marsh, Watson? - move on and enjoy it. YOUTH

macca why all the Watto hate I'll tell you why! -Good looking man, the ladies like him, while most blokes get ignored by the hotties -Plays pro sport for a job,playing cricket for OZ while the masses and sports fans play with themselves or a pub team or there key board,drive a cab, as good as they get -Fit strong masculine looking guy, pup and him didn't seem to get on maybe that was why -He can play the metro and rugged look -Was good at footy too -He's a Queenslander, alot of NSW centric fans on here so bitter about SOOrigin -Has a hot wife -Has quite a bit of money Shall I go on lol He's everything that the masses and majority are not. Tall poppy syndrome alive and well still in OZ, Watto getting alot of jealousy tall poppy waves coz if it.

get ur panties out of a knot ladies geez why all the watto hate ,batting at 3 aint easy obviously and we all no what a great batsmen he is we also no he,s a better one dayer than a test player but at the end of the day he can bowl well ,he doesnt need to score a million runs he,s a very good ALLROUNDER and untill another allrounder sqeezes him out then he should stay regardless of where he bats and all this marsh marsh marsh talk ,he has not proven he can stay fit yet he,s always injured i hope he does make it but he is yet to prove his body can handle it so give watto a break and let him do what he does best

Ronan - stop playing "know it all". Watson has his moments - rare, he has been a crock on and off since he started in Tasmania. He has not done enough - he is old, 33, sack him and get new blood and let the team get on with life. He has 2 problems - not a good batting technique and not an athlete, a lumberer). The one that realy confuses me is Shaun Marsh - why is he in the team? - did you notice his eyes in Brisbane - he has no confidence and is, like a lot of recent performers, not up to test class, plus he is too old. A YOUTH POLICY please