Veteran allrounder Shane Watson wants to keep playing all three forms of cricket internationally and says the old guard in Australia’s Ashes squad are highly motivated to get an elusive series win in England.
33-year-old Watson is one of several members of the recent victorious World Cup-winning team included in the Ashes party, who are probably looking at their last chance of playing in a triumphant Ashes away campaign.
Captain Michael Clarke 34, wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, 37, and paceman Mitchell Johnson, 33, have all played in unsuccessful Ashes tours.
Outside of the World Cup squad, 30-year-old paceman Peter Siddle has had two fruitless Ashes campaigns in England and 37-year-old opener Chris Rogers and 35-year-old quick Ryan Harris one each.
And the ages of Ashes tour rookies Adam Voges (35), Fawad Ahmed (33) and Shaun Marsh (31) may count against them getting another chance to defeat the old enemy on their own soil.
Watson said winning a first Ashes away series since 2001 was a huge motivator for the senior members of the squad.
“One of the last final things to really tick off for a few of us older guys is an Ashes win away from home,” Watson said on Friday.
“This will be my third (Ashes tour), so I certainly know what the experience is like when we lose.
“I know going over there we’re playing a lot of really good cricket. We’ve got match winners throughout our whole team in the Test arena as well, so we’re very excited about the prospects.”
Watson said he had learnt a lot when he was dropped for a short time during the World Cup.
While Clarke and Haddin have announced their retirement from one-day cricket, Watson said he still loved representing Australian in all three formats.
“It is an absolute privilege and an honour to be able to do it,” Watson said.
“l feel very fresh and keen to continue playing because I still feel I’ve got a lot of improvement to go.”
Asked to nominate those areas, Watson said batting for longer periods in Test cricket in which he has score four hundreds against 24 fifties, and improving the resilience of his notoriously injury-prone body.
Watson, who will leave for the two-Test tour of the West Indies after his wife gives birth to their second child, today signed a three-year deal with Big Bash League side Sydney Thunder.
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
I'd say the point of Watto's bowling in the India series wasn't '5 wickets at 48', it was the fact that he's bowled an average of 25 overs a match in his last three tests, going at 2.7. If he's past it as a Test bowler, why did Smithy open the bowling on Day 4 in Brisbane with Watson at one end and Johnson at the other? Watto bowled 3 overs for 1 run, while Johnson tore through India with three wickets at the other end. Sure, Watto wasn't grabbing wickets left right and centre but as the Aussies say time and again, they bowl in partnerships and Watto did his job perfectly. Yeah, he hasn't absolutely shone with the bat for a while, and if he can only manage a string of 18s for the first test or two then it probably is time to give Marsh a go. On the other hand, if he can find the batting form he showed in the latter stage of the World Cup in Tests, and keep up his bowling, then I'd be glad to have him over Marsh while we still can.
CW
Guest
Yes you are right. Point is. The last time Watto shone at test cricket was 18 months ago. He is yesterday's hero. He used to be good for vital runs. He used to be good for vital wickets. Used to be. Past tense. Had a mediocre series against India with 228 runs @28. Not up to test standard. Five wickets @48, Again not up to test standard. Has never come to terms with the the seaming conditions in England. Like I say. Yesterday's hero..
Zim Zam
Roar Rookie
I'd argue that after he came good at the Oval with his 176 he's been pretty good. He had a good 2013-14 Ashes: two vital innings, the 83* in Melbourne and the 103 in Perth, plus a 51 in Adelaide and a fairly useful 43 in Sydney - sure, he got out just before lunch, but with Aus at 4/94 he'd got half their runs and was largely responsible for Smith and Haddin having anything at all to build their fightback on. He wasn't needed to bowl that much because the Poms couldn't bat more than 50 overs, but when he did he performed exactly the role the team needed him to, kept it tight and got a couple of breakthrough wickets. He only played one Test against South Africa, and he bowled tight, took a wicket, made a fast 40 at 6 and a faster 25 at 4 after Doolan had snailed his way to 6 off 200 or whatever it was, and pretty much did the job the team gave him. Batting-wise he didn't set the world on fire in the Indian series, but his bowling saved us in Brisbane, and he kept it up for the rest of the series. He's not past it with the ball yet, and he showed in the latter half of the World Cup that he can still bat, by scoring runs when it mattered. As long as he keeps his form, I think he's got plenty to offer batting at 5/6 and giving us 10 or so overs an innings as a fourth seamer.
CT
Guest
He needs more than keeness mate. He needs to be putting the points on the board. Has not been doing that in test cricket for quite some time. I was once a Watto fan. I respected his ability to bounce back from adversity. No longer. He just does not have the tools to be a good test player any longer.
Sean Bell
Roar Rookie
I hope Watson gets selected. I love reading all the articles that inevitably follow about how awful he is and then the ones about how everyone should stop writing articles about how awful he is. Good rule of thumb, whenever Watson says or does something that boggles the mind and fills you with incoherent rage, stop, take a deep breath and don't write about it, because fifty other people already have. Good to see he's keen though, selectors love that, means as long as he keeps cracking good jokes and making killer cups of tea hes a lock (Sorry couldn't resist).