Image courtesy of: Zimbio
“I do know I can hold my spot as an all-rounder”
Australia all-rounder Shane Watson has admitted that he does not deserve a place in the Test team solely as a batsman since his record is nowhere near as impressive as it should be.
Watson missed the first two Tests against South Africa due to a calf injury, which left him struggling to bat, bowl and run.
However, despite having regained his touch with the bat and started running again, Watson knows that he must be able to bowl a decent number of the overs without any problems whatsoever if he is to be selected for the third and final Test in Cape Town
“I know where I am at and where I have been with my batting in Test cricket especially, I haven’t been as consistent as I would have liked,” Watson said. “I don’t warrant a spot as a batsman at this point, but I do know I can hold my spot as an all-rounder.
“For this upcoming Test I will bowl what is required, hopefully I wont have to bowl much because it will mean the wicket’s got a little bit in it and the main quicks have done their job. Once I have a decent break after the IPL I’ll be talking to Alex [Kountouris, physio] and the doc [Peter Brukner] about getting a good pre-season in for the first time in quite a while to try and make my body more hardened to be able to bowl the overs I want to bowl.”
Watson also admitted that he may have been started running and bowling too soon after his calf injury first flared up.
“[A day] was what it was going to be initially but I came back a little bit too quick, it was only a couple of days before I was running and trying to bowl again,” Watson said. “Initially it was only going to be a couple of days, and especially the techniques that Peter Brukner has got as well, he’s got me through a hell of a lot of cricket.
“When something has flared up he’s been able to help me to get over that very quickly. This time it didn’t work exactly to plan. [But] it also gave me a chance to get my body right, I’ve had a few niggles through the summer that I was able to play with but this has given me time to get over those. It’s worked out better because when I come back I won’t have those niggles.”
Watson excelled and failed the last time he played against South Africa in Cape Town in 2011 as he took a five-wicket haul in the first innings, but only managed to score seven runs in both innings of the match.
“It’d be nice if that happened again, and the conditions were the same – but not the back part of that [Test],” he said. “I couldn’t get a run…and started the rot when we got bowled out for 40-odd.
“The wicket has normally got a bit of seam and swing in it for the first couple of days. I know if I’m fit and I get picked that my bowling could be pretty suited to it.
“It’s going to be a big challenge for us in this next Test, because they’ve got more bowling under their belt. I know Dale and a few of their bowlers were a bit underdone going into that first Test match, but they’ve got some more bowling under their belt now, and they were impressive in that last Test match.”