Chappell feels that Watson is currently the best all-rounder in the Australian side

Legendary Australia batsman Ian Chappell has announced that all-rounder Shane Watson must be included in the national team for future series as he will play a key role as to whether they succeed or not.

Chappell’s comments come after he ridiculed speculation that Watson was not worthy of being a top six batsman in the current Australian roster.

Chappell believes that Watson’s ability to score runs with the bat and also take wickets at a decent rate gives him an edge over a lot of the other players in the national team.

Speaking exclusively to the Australian Associated Press, Chappell said: “If I’m a selector picking the Australia XI and Shane Watson is not in the best six batsmen, I’ve been watching a different game, if Watson is fit to play and they don’t pick him as a batsman, I find that strange. He has proven himself as a batsman.”

During the Test series against South Africa, Watson was ruled out of the first two Tests due to a calf injury and during his recovery period, there were a lot of reports about him not being allowed to bowl during the third Test at Perth.

However, Chappell stated that even if Watson cannot bowl, his batting more than makes up for it.

“If Shane can’t bowl, that is not the major consideration,” Chappell said. “You want to pick the best team to give you the best chance to win the game and that means Shane Watson should be there, whether he can bowl or not.”

Australia flamboyant opening batsman David Warner also defended Watson, saying: “Just having him in the team, the class of player he is, brings a lot of experience to the team.”