Shane Watson ( Australian Cricket Team Member )

Shane Watson

Batting style:  Right Handed bat
Bowling style: Right-arm fast medium
Played for:      Australia, Queensland, Rajasthan Royals,
                        New South Wales, Australia Under-19,
                        Sydney Sixer, AllRounder


Profile

Over the years, Australia has produced world-class batsmen and bowlers but the one area where they are yet to succeed is apparently the all-rounder slot. Shane Watson seems to be the man for the task. Well built and over six feet, Shane Watson can bat in the top-order and is a genuine fast bowler.

Born in Queensland,” Watto” first started playing for Tasmania at the age of 20. Topping the bowling charts in the Pura Cup and good middle-order performances led to his selection for Australia’s tour of South Africa in early 2002. Though he did not live up to the expectations then, Ponting and the selectors opined that he was on a learning curve and it would only be a matter of time before he came good. He continued to be a regular member of the ODI team before injury caused him to miss the 2003 WC. He made his comeback a year later and started playing as a bowling all-rounder. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in 2005, scoring 31 in the first innings and taking a wicket. A dislocated shoulder while fielding in a Test against the West Indies caused him to miss the remainder of the season. Ironically, he was recalled in 2006 to replace an injured Andrew Symonds who had previously taken his place. His performances however convinced few of his all-round ability.

However, in the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy, Watson was given the chance to open the batting with Adam Gilchrist. The move paid dividends as he performed quite well with both bat and ball in the tournament. In 2007, another injury blighted his progress and questions were raised about his ability to handle the workload expected of an all-rounder. The 2008 edition of the IPL proved to be a crucial turning point in his career. The able stewardship of Shane Warne brought the best out of him and he was instrumental in the Rajasthan Royals’ win in the inaugural IPL season. Since then he has regularly featured in Australia’s Test, ODI and T20 Squads and has been a consistent performer. His much improved bowling has eased the pressure on the four frontline bowlers and he is also an added asset at the top of the order. Watson was named the deputy of Michale Clarke in Tests and ODIs, post the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Fast Facts

Shane Watson was the Player of the Tournament in the 2008 IPL.
Watto was named “Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year” in 2002.
He was picked by the Australia Media Cricket Association as Australia’s “Player of the Year” in 2008.
Watson was awarded the ‘’Allan border Medal” in 2010 and 2011.
He was named Test Player as well as One-day International Player of the Year in 2011.
Watson scored a blistering knock of 185 in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2011, which included 15 sixes and 15 fours. He broke Xavier Marshall’s record for the number of sixes.
His wife, Lee is a “Fox Sports Australia” presenter.

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