Riggins
International Captain
he only played the first two in his last ashes series. he can pick up where he left off.
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It's time to go, Shane Watson.
- Thread starter Top_Cat
- Start date
Top_Cat
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Martyn rates Watson so he'll have to miss out.
Shane Watson to stay in London as pressure mounts over Test place
Comparing him to Gooch is.....interesting. Have to say that the article's premiss isn't really correct; despite pressure apparently mounting on his Test spot, Watto is able to miss the only FC game between this Test and the next one. It's also the last programmed FC match for the tour and, incidentally, the only one against a properly strong club (the potential duel with noted front-pad specialist MacGoffin would have been very interesting). His place is obviously secure, as confirmed by Pat Howard.
I'm sure he'll be fine.
Shane Watson to stay in London as pressure mounts over Test place
Comparing him to Gooch is.....interesting. Have to say that the article's premiss isn't really correct; despite pressure apparently mounting on his Test spot, Watto is able to miss the only FC game between this Test and the next one. It's also the last programmed FC match for the tour and, incidentally, the only one against a properly strong club (the potential duel with noted front-pad specialist MacGoffin would have been very interesting). His place is obviously secure, as confirmed by Pat Howard.
I'm sure he'll be fine.
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karan316
State Vice-Captain
It would be foolish to underestimate a guy like Watson, he can be a great asset for the aussies, the only problem i see is that he shouldn't be opening in tests, he can be profitable if he bats at 4 or 5. Same with Warner, its best to have 3 or 4 defensive guys at the top of the order to grind it out and than let guys like Watson and Warner come and play their natural game. The top 3 guys in the England batting line up of recent have been solid in defense and easing up things for the others by laying a strong platform. It has been working well for them, and I guess others should follow the same in conditions that are good for pace bowling.
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the big bambino
International Captain
He's more despised than underestimated and for good reason. He's selfish and nowhere near as good as the hype.
He can only open or crack the sooks if he doesn't. He wasn't profitable down the order. He disrupts the team.
No use having grinders if they ultimately ave around the low 30s as they generally cede the advantage to the opposition. All of England's top 3 are stroke makers who establish their digs then accelerate and set up the team's innings.
He can only open or crack the sooks if he doesn't. He wasn't profitable down the order. He disrupts the team.
No use having grinders if they ultimately ave around the low 30s as they generally cede the advantage to the opposition. All of England's top 3 are stroke makers who establish their digs then accelerate and set up the team's innings.
Woodster
International Captain
The case of Shane Watson is an interesting one. For me to try and make an honest judgement of his cricketing abilities I need to segregate my personal feelings and dislike towards him (probably a little unfair as he has done nothing to me, just a hunch!) when assessing his skills. The biggest threat to his place in the team for me is the fact he is supposedly upsetting the morale of the side, if this is indeed accurate. At a time when the whole squad need to be pulling in the same direction, his undermining or general disruption would be most unwelcome. I appreciate personal differences, such as his with Michael Clarke, are not crucial to the side winning matches, but when the team are not winning games this is obviously magnified and tempers are frayed somewhat quicker, which certainly will not help. The situation between Clarke and Watson is in my mind incomparable to the differences with Shane Warne and Steve Waugh, they were two world class cricketers within a superb Test side, rifts are so much easier to cope with when the side is sweeping all before them.
I am still hugely pleased when England dismiss Watson, typically when he's trapped in front of all three, and this is due partly to my joy at seeing his smug face reduced to a scowl seemingly close to tears, but also because of the threat he represents to our side. He is a frustration for all Aussies I'm sure, a man who can look a million dollars driving with such authority and quick to pull anything slightly back of a length off the front foot before falling to the type of dismissal where a technical flaw has failed to have been ironed out despite it curtailing so many a promising innings. Top players always find a way to overcome these issues, they may not disappear but they are certainly not as obvious series after series.
His conversion of 50's to 100's is woeful, and with his style of positive cricket it all points to a place in the middle order. An opportunity when batting with the tail where he can switch into T20 mode and play with more freedom without trying to construct an innings over several sessions.
It's unlikely he is ever going to replicate anything like the Langers or Haydens statistics at the top, but surely he scores consistently enough (if not big enough scores) to be retained in this side if in a lesser batting capacity, ie down the order. His bowling we know can be useful in giving the side control, but he must buy into the team plans and ethic while maintaining his own personal opinions on things.
I am still hugely pleased when England dismiss Watson, typically when he's trapped in front of all three, and this is due partly to my joy at seeing his smug face reduced to a scowl seemingly close to tears, but also because of the threat he represents to our side. He is a frustration for all Aussies I'm sure, a man who can look a million dollars driving with such authority and quick to pull anything slightly back of a length off the front foot before falling to the type of dismissal where a technical flaw has failed to have been ironed out despite it curtailing so many a promising innings. Top players always find a way to overcome these issues, they may not disappear but they are certainly not as obvious series after series.
His conversion of 50's to 100's is woeful, and with his style of positive cricket it all points to a place in the middle order. An opportunity when batting with the tail where he can switch into T20 mode and play with more freedom without trying to construct an innings over several sessions.
It's unlikely he is ever going to replicate anything like the Langers or Haydens statistics at the top, but surely he scores consistently enough (if not big enough scores) to be retained in this side if in a lesser batting capacity, ie down the order. His bowling we know can be useful in giving the side control, but he must buy into the team plans and ethic while maintaining his own personal opinions on things.
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Howe_zat
Audio File
Ought to bat from 5 down, at least below Clarke and possibly Haddin.
Openers are there to make hundreds, allrounders to make fifties and it's like that for a reason. Watson is in the side as an allrounder and his position may as well reflect that.
And don't mention starting against spin when he's being so predictably got out by new ball bowlers. Australia currenty have Khawaja and Hughes in the middle order both of whom have looked appalling against spin recently - combined with the fact that Hughes is a shaky starter at the best of times. From the middle order Watson's consistent 30+ scores can at least help arrest some of the batting collapses that are losing you series, rather than throwing in a rocks-or-diamonds player like Hughes in a scenario where you've just lost a wicket.
Openers are there to make hundreds, allrounders to make fifties and it's like that for a reason. Watson is in the side as an allrounder and his position may as well reflect that.
And don't mention starting against spin when he's being so predictably got out by new ball bowlers. Australia currenty have Khawaja and Hughes in the middle order both of whom have looked appalling against spin recently - combined with the fact that Hughes is a shaky starter at the best of times. From the middle order Watson's consistent 30+ scores can at least help arrest some of the batting collapses that are losing you series, rather than throwing in a rocks-or-diamonds player like Hughes in a scenario where you've just lost a wicket.
Victor Ian
International Coach
I think you could fix Watto's LBW problems by simply sending him out there without a pad.
Howe_zat
Audio File
Maybe being tentative should be the way forward for him? In any case I'm not convinced he'd do worse down the order. He has no history of struggling against Swann - unlike some of the actual middle order bats now have - and England will still be fielding 3 seamers, and possibly flagging ones by the time he comes in.
Top_Cat
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Nah, he was rat****, the only reason the Indians couldn't get him out was because the deck was dog slow (have a look at the scoring rates of those around him) so he muddled through even though, prima facie, he was in top form.
Anyway, him starting against spin is the problem but hey, **** it, if he's still in possession of the Golden Ticket as he seems to be, as you said he can't do any worse.
Anyway, him starting against spin is the problem but hey, **** it, if he's still in possession of the Golden Ticket as he seems to be, as you said he can't do any worse.
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Manee
Cricketer Of The Year
The ball will swing-in and you'll just hear "oh no" and a thud as the ball hits his knee and a second thud as Watson hits the ground.