Shane Watson

[Twizzle]

How good did this kid bat against NSW in the I&G Cup on Saturday.

I have not seen such crisp hitting since Dean Jones in his prime.

Shame about the soft dismissal, but his time at the wicket was very impressive.

He still has a very powerful arm, just ask Michael Clark, who should have known not to take on that arm.

When he starts to get back into his bowling, I don't think it will be long before we see him back in the Australian ODI team.

 

[Anonymous]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

 

[knights04]

Not as good as Di Venuto

 

[Twizzle]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

Katich's effort was brilliant. He is picked in the test matches, but with his left arm chinamen, and his brilliant innings yesterday, he might be playing ODI before long.

He will need to tighten up his bowling, if he is gong to bowl in ODI.

As well as he batted, I was more impressd with Watson, his timing and placement was admirable.

 

[Anonymous]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

Katich's effort was brilliant. He is picked in the test matches, but with his left arm chinamen, and his brilliant innings yesterday, he might be playing ODI before long.

He will need to tighten up his bowling, if he is gong to bowl in ODI.

As well as he batted, I was more impressd with Watson, his timing and placement was admirable.

How could you not include him in at least a couple of ODI's. Opening the batting he has been superb.

 

[Anonymous]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

Katich's effort was brilliant. He is picked in the test matches, but with his left arm chinamen, and his brilliant innings yesterday, he might be playing ODI before long.

He will need to tighten up his bowling, if he is gong to bowl in ODI.

As well as he batted, I was more impressd with Watson, his timing and placement was admirable.

How could you not include him in at least a couple of ODI's. Opening the batting he has been superb.

I agree 1000%. Whenever Gilchrist or Hayden is rested, apart from once or twice the openors have failed. He should be in the squad this summer. Additionally, he can bat from 1-7.

 

[Twizzle]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

Katich's effort was brilliant. He is picked in the test matches, but with his left arm chinamen, and his brilliant innings yesterday, he might be playing ODI before long.

He will need to tighten up his bowling, if he is gong to bowl in ODI.

As well as he batted, I was more impressd with Watson, his timing and placement was admirable.

How could you not include him in at least a couple of ODI's. Opening the batting he has been superb.

Who would you drop to put him in................Gilchrist or Hayden???

If he got a gig, it would be in the middle order, at the expense of Michael Clark.

 

[Bobby DIGital]

Watson.....he's another bleached blond player eh?

 

[Anonymous]

What about Katich's effort. Brilliant.

Katich's effort was brilliant. He is picked in the test matches, but with his left arm chinamen, and his brilliant innings yesterday, he might be playing ODI before long.

He will need to tighten up his bowling, if he is gong to bowl in ODI.

As well as he batted, I was more impressd with Watson, his timing and placement was admirable.

How could you not include him in at least a couple of ODI's. Opening the batting he has been superb.

Who would you drop to put him in................Gilchrist or Hayden???

If he got a gig, it would be in the middle order, at the expense of Michael Clark.

I am not suggesting that he play every match. Gilchrist and Hayden are the best opening combination in the world (Although the indians might have something to say about that) but what I am suggesting is that if any player is rested through out the Summer that Katich deserves a spot.

But then again so do Hussey and Hodge.

 

[Doctor]

How good did this kid bat against NSW in the I&G Cup on Saturday.
I have not seen such crisp hitting since Dean Jones in his prime....When he starts to get back into his bowling, I don't think it will be long before we see him back in the Australian ODI team.

It presents another dilemma for the selectors doesn't it? Once again you have the choice between an older player (Harvey) and a player touted as the future of Australian cricket (Watson).

Watson's performances prior to his injury last summer showed a lot of promise. At that stage neither Symonds nor Harvey were showing any signs of form. With the loss of Shane Lee as a back up to this in recent times, Watson had emerged as a possibilitity to take that allrounder role.

Fortunately for Australia, Symonds finally showed his batting brilliance, and while his bowling is still ordinary his batting can often compensate for poor form with the ball.

Watson's batting is his strength, but in order to get into the OD team this summer he will need either some injuries to key personnel, his bowling form to return, or preferably both.

In the bowling department he comes up against Lee, Bichel and co for the number 7 or eight spot. Harvey's international batting is woeful, and despite some recent hints of good form, his bowling still isn't acceptable. Perhaps Watson's bowling, when it returns, will be the deciding factor in his selection. He didn't bowl on the weekend which tells me that he is a long way off being an international bowler again.

Either he starts producing some big batting performances, or his bowling will need to enter the fray as an extra incentive to pick him. At any rate, Clarke's bowling form is sufficient to select him as an allrounder and play an extra paceman. Likewise Katich (although I'm still not convinced of his bowling abilities, but the stats tell otherwise).

We may be looking at a ODI side like this:

Gilchrist
Hayden
Ponting
Symonds
Martyn
Clarke
Bevan
Bichel/Harvey/Hogg/Williams
Lee
Gillespie
Bracken

This is assuming Lehmann and McGrath are still out.

 

[aqua_duck]

What I like about Watson is that he is a genuine all rounder, good batsman, and good bowler as well. Symonds is a batsman who can fill in a few overs, Harvey is a bowler who can hold the bat.

 

[Doctor]

What I like about Watson is that he is a genuine all rounder, good batsman, and good bowler as well. Symonds is a batsman who can fill in a few overs, Harvey is a bowler who can hold the bat.

I agree completely with your thoughts. Symonds and Harvey offer two different extremes of the standard 'allrounder' in ODI cricket.

The issue at the moment is that Watson isn't bowling for his state - even in a domestic one-day match he didn't even roll his arm over for a short spell of 2 to 3 overs. I would have thought that if he is even close to fitness bowling-wise, he would want to have a bit of a bowl in such a match, even if for only a few overs off a shortened run and at a slow pace.

When he is fit, and certainly now with his batting, he has the potential to once again play for Australia.

 

[next knights half]

i cant agree with you there oswin on harveys bowling all throughout the summer has been excelent his batting yes pretty much woefull if you look harvey bowls manly at the end of the innings when team are trying to blet you around to evrycorner or when we start to get belted harvey is usaly called upon so realy bowling 10 over for 55 is quite excellent not to mention the wickets he has taken lok at the final in indiain some way he won that match for us getting the little master out on 80 od he has i think the best slower ball in the world and i think could be picked in the odis on his bowling alone

 

[Mighty Tiger]

What I like about Watson is that he is a genuine all rounder, good batsman, and good bowler as well. Symonds is a batsman who can fill in a few overs, Harvey is a bowler who can hold the bat.

I agree completely with your thoughts. Symonds and Harvey offer two different extremes of the standard 'allrounder' in ODI cricket.

The issue at the moment is that Watson isn't bowling for his state - even in a domestic one-day match he didn't even roll his arm over for a short spell of 2 to 3 overs. I would have thought that if he is even close to fitness bowling-wise, he would want to have a bit of a bowl in such a match, even if for only a few overs off a shortened run and at a slow pace.

When he is fit, and certainly now with his batting, he has the potential to once again play for Australia.

Very true! Most of the current players in the Australian team actually think he is rated the 3rd fastest bowler in the country behind Lee and Williams.

You talk about Watson coming through the ranks what about White from Victoria??? He too no doubt has to be considered and it appears that we are now grooming a host of all round players and who knows specialist bowlers might only fill 2 spots in the side in years to come ;-)

 

[Doctor]

Most of the current players in the Australian team actually think he is rated the 3rd fastest bowler in the country behind Lee and Williams.

Who, Watson? Surely not? In the One Dayers he was only getting up to about 130-135 km/h. He doesn't strike me as express.

What about Gillespie? Bracken would have to be around the 130-135 mark. Anyway, it just strikes me as odd.

 

[Camelwise]

i cant agree with you there oswin on harveys bowling all throughout the summer has been excelent his batting yes pretty much woefull if you look harvey bowls manly at the end of the innings when team are trying to blet you around to evrycorner or when we start to get belted harvey is usaly called upon so realy bowling 10 over for 55 is quite excellent not to mention the wickets he has taken lok at the final in indiain some way he won that match for us getting the little master out on 80 od he has i think the best slower ball in the world and i think could be picked in the odis on his bowling alone

I agree with what you have said but an all rounder is suppose to be someone who can bat and bowl, and Harvey at the moment is hopeless with the bat so he's pretty much playing as a specialist bowler.

 

[Twizzle]

Most of the current players in the Australian team actually think he is rated the 3rd fastest bowler in the country behind Lee and Williams.

Who, Watson? Surely not? In the One Dayers he was only getting up to about 130-135 km/h. He doesn't strike me as express.

What about Gillespie? Bracken would have to be around the 130-135 mark. Anyway, it just strikes me as odd.

Watson was actually quite quick.

In the ODI he does bowl at 135 k/hr, because that is how his is coached and instructed, to maintain contol and keep the runs down. HE also bowls off a shorter run in the ODIs.

Prior to his ODI debut for Australia, he bowled very quickly for the Tasmaniacs.

He has bowled at 145k plus in the 4 day Pura Cup games and is still evolving.

Unfortunately this back injury that prevents him from bowling, may set him back a bit.

If he can find the pace he generated a few years ago, he can be very very quick.

 

[Craig]

At this stage Watson is very over-rated and it is nothing more then a bits-and-pieces cricketer.

Not once has he truely lived up to his potential at international level.

i dont really rate Symonds or Harvey. Australia dont have any truely world-class all rounders in the ODI game.

He preforms only at state level.

 

[Doctor]

Watson continued his good batting form with 63 off 90 against Western Australia at the W.A.C.A ground in Perth. He hit only four 4's in his innings which tells me he played a constructive innings made up of singles and twos.

He was Tasmania's top-runscorer but did not bowl unfortunately - obviously still either injured or not willing to risk another injury just yet.

 

[Twizzle]

Saw him interviewed on the Cricket Show today.

He has modified his bowling action to save his back. Once it is up to speed, he will then start bowling again for the Tasmaniacs.

He seems a good kid and I wish him luck.

I'd like to see him back in the ODI team, I think he will be a good assett and a genuine all rounder.