Both Pascoe and Thompson are concerned about Watson’s future

Having started Australia’s Test summer off with yet another injury, all-rounder Shane Watson has been advised by former legends to consider giving up ODI cricket in order to limit his workload and ease the strain on his body.

Watson only ended up playing the third Test against South Africa after a calf injury forced him to miss the first two and Cricket Australia are now starting to worry about whether the all-rounder is being overworked.

Former Australia pace bowler Len Pascoe has advised Watson to retire from ODI cricket and focus that time on improving his record in the longer format, while legendary seamer Jeff Thompson stated that he hoped Watson’s constant injury woes have not made the national selectors think twice about including him in the national team.

“Maybe they are sick of his injuries, I don’t know,” Thompson said. “He seems to get a lot of injuries and you can understand if the hierarchy are getting annoyed by it.

“Whether it is a major problem internally I don’t know, but I really hope they keep faith in Watson because he is a better cricketer than most of the blokes we have running around. There’s no question for me he is in our top six batsmen.”

However, Pascoe believes it is up to Cricket Australia to ensure that Watson gives up ODI cricket in order to take some of the pressure off his shoulders.

“We have to take care of Shane,” Pascoe added. “I would think he has a career as long as he wants it, but we have a duty of care to use Shane in the best way possible in the modern game.

“To me he is one of the top three batsmen in the world. On the bowling side of things, he should be used less and no longer be regarded as an all-rounder. I don’t think the 50-over game is beneficial for Shane now.”