Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Whither Shane Watson?


It hasn't been mentioned much, but Shane Watson got a century just recently. He scored 135 runs off 98 balls in the ICC Champions Trophy warm-up match against the West Indies. Of course, in the next match he scored 4 (India) and in the next one, he scored 24 (England). Go figure.

It seems as though the Australian cricket-following fraternity is cleanly divided over the Shane Watson Conundrum. There are his loyal supporters, such as myself, who see Watson as the second best batsman on the Australian side by a good margin, but who has unfortunately been beleaguered by a spat of poor showings of late, interspersed by the occasional triumphant hundred; and there are his ruthless detractors, who would rather see him permanently dropped from the Australian side and would purge all evidence that he ever wore the baggy green.

The figures I mentioned above for the last three matches of the ICC Champions Trophy demonstrate this divide. His detractors point only to his poor figures, especially his shoddy Test figures in recent times. His supporters like me point to his occasional display of grand form to demonstrate that he has the skill and the capability to do great things and lead the Australian side.

For what it's worth, after consideration of the matter, I thought Watson's retirement from the vice-captaincy was the right decision. I was disappointed at the time, as I had always seen Watson as the natural deputy and successor to Michael Clarke (and I still do, as a matter of fact). But I think Watson needs the space and the time to recover his form. I wouldn't rule out Shane Watson eventually resuming the vice-captaincy, or even one day captaining Australia (providing he isn't too old, or retired, by then).

Like many Shane Watson supporters, I think he should be placed where he plays best: as an opener. He has batted forty-six Test innings as an opener at an average of 43.07. Not too bad, eh? He has limited experience elsewhere in the order, and with not nearly as much success: eight innings at no.3 for 28.50; seven innings at no.4 for 27.86; one innings at no.5 for 5; seven innings at no.6 for 24.29; and six innings at no.7 for 14.50. To bat forty-six innings as an opener for a consistent average of 43.07 should suggest that the opener position is his natural position, especially when compared with his less-than-spectacular averages at other places in the order. This is confirmed by the fact that he has an average of 46.10 at the opening position over 91 ODI innings. Impressive, no?

In the Ashes I would pair him with Chris Rogers in the opening position (ignore my previous post saying otherwise, I had admittedly not even considered Rogers then). That's what I call a formidable opening pair, or at least as formidable as Australia is capable of at this point in time. But I have a cynical feeling that Watson will continue to be played down the order to make way for David Warner and/or Ed Cowan (neither of whom inspire tremendous confidence as openers).

Nevertheless, this may be the defining period of Watson's career. He must make or break. His performance in the upcoming back-to-back Ashes series must be up to par - and preferably beyond - or the siren calls of the drop-Watson brigade will be all the more pertinent, and the selectors might just have a mind to start heeding them.

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