MELBOURNE
Feb 19 (Online): The perennial fitness
battles of Shane Watson are likely to rule the all-rounder out of Australia's
second test against South Africa. Selectors are unlikely to be crying. Watson's
unique ability to hog the spotlight whether playing or languishing injured on
the sidelines may be unmatched in test cricket, but another win for Australia
in Port Elizabeth could put the 32-year-old's career at a cross-roads.
Struggling to recover from yet another calf injury, Watson trained apart from
the team on Tuesday.
One of the game's great survivors, the barrel-chested
Queenslander has clawed his way back into the team after each breakdown, but
his place in Michael Clarke's team has rarely seemed so precarious. Like so many times before, Watson's injury in
the leadup to the first test at Centurion disrupted Australia's plans, forcing
selectors to hastily reshuffle the team, blood a debutant in Alex Doolan and
fly in test exile Shaun Marsh. Unlike times past, Watson's replacements proved
their worth as Marsh scored an important century and number three batsman
Doolan a defiant second innings 89 against South Africa's vaunted pace attack,
helping to set up a thumping 281-run win over the world's top-ranked test
nation.
The Australian public has long been accustomed to the soap opera-like
intrigue surrounding the player's fitness, but has become increasingly weary of
the line that a half-fit Watson is better than no Watson at all. "It
remains an unexplained mystery why Watson, at 32 and with such an agonisingly
prolonged history of injury breakdowns, can just come and go from the
Australian team virtually at his own discretion," cricket pundit Kim
Hagdorn wrote in a column published by News Ltd media. "He seemingly walks
back in whenever he decides he is fit and ahead of other contenders who have to
overcome searching selection claims with performances at the minor and pathway
levels to the privilege of playing with the nation's highest profile sporting
outfit." Australia coach and selector Darren Lehmann has declined to back
Watson's return to the side, even if fit.
"It's very hard to fit him in if you're winning," Lehmann said
this week.
"We have to see what the wicket's like, whether we need that extra
bowling option." Once deemed essential to give Australia's pace attack a
rest by tying up an end and taking a timely wicket with his medium pacers,
Watson took only two wickets from his 85.3 overs in the northern Ashes series.
The resurgence of Mitchell Johnson and endurance of fellow paceman Ryan Harris,
also no stranger to injury troubles, saw Watson bowled sparingly in the return
Ashes series Down Under.
Lehmann has cast doubt on Watson's selection on the
strength of his batting alone, however, which has yielded only four centuries
from 51 matches. Batting at number three, Watson scored 345 runs at an average
of 38.33 in the return Ashes series, but the runs flowed largely when the hosts
had their foot on England's throat.
Deciding on a solid number three has been Australia's bugbear since the
retirement of former captain Ricky Ponting over a year ago, and Clarke's lavish
praise for Doolan may not be music to Watson's ears. "Alex certainly
looked comfortable at test level," Clarke wrote in his News Ltd column on
Wednesday. "He played South Africa's quality pace attack exceptionally
well on a very difficult wicket. "Alex knew exactly what was expected of
him when we walked on to Centurion Park, and performed accordingly."
Australia has worked hard to groom
all-rounders Moises Henriques and James Faulkner, with the latter denied a
possible start at Centurion after breaking down with a knee injury before the
tour. With Watson sidelined and Henriques 12th man, spectators at Centurion
were treated to the novel sight of opener David Warner flinging down some
medium pacers rather than his rough-and-ready legspin. "They're coming out
alright," paceman Peter Siddle said of Warner's work in the nets. Once
condemned as "sometimes" a team player by Cricket Australia's high
performance chief Pat Howard, Watson has been studiously giving Henriques
pointers in South Africa. If Australia continue to cover their bases in Port
Elizabeth, however, Watson's contributions may be limited to the sidelines. –
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