Is Shane Watson's Career Over?

[chaminda_00]

The kid is 20 and hasn't done anything except stand-out at U19 level. I'm not denying he has talent, but comments like yours will ruin him.

Wasn't being 100% serious TBH.

 

[Richard]

Yeah but what if Hopes comes in and does well? Or McDonald or whoever? If I was him, I'd be worried about my spot security and fair enough, because he's never had a permanent spot in the side long enough without an injury concern. If all of a sudden someone like Hopes does well then the selectors may think "well, he's doing a good job and his leg isn't going to fall off every 3rd match"

I know it's not what Watson will be thinking, but Hopes can't lace his boots. There's about as much chance of Hopes becoming a ODI (never mind Test) class all-rounder as there is of me eating my computer.

 

[iamdavid]

Even if Watson never bowls another delivery I'm very confident he'll have a role to play for Australia.
Point out all the other 26 yr olds in the country who average 50 in FC cricket... Watson was chosen ahead of Michael Clarke to bat in a middle order slot for what was at the time the most anticipated series in years, the selectors clearly have a lot of faith in his batting.

 

[howardj]

The kid is 20 and hasn't done anything except stand-out at U19 level. I'm not denying he has talent, but comments like yours will ruin him.

And except average 14 with the ball in his only two FC games, including a best of 5/17. Guys who can score a FC century or take a five wicket hall in their teens, in FC cricket, are blue-chip future internationals.

 

[Perm]

Even if Watson never bowls another delivery I'm very confident he'll have a role to play for Australia.
Point out all the other 26 yr olds in the country who average 50 in FC cricket... Watson was chosen ahead of Michael Clarke to bat in a middle order slot for what was at the time the most anticipated series in years, the selectors clearly have a lot of faith in his batting.

Was chosen as an all-rounder TBH, something the Australian selectors thought they desperately needed.

 

[iamdavid]

There's about as much chance of Hopes becoming a ODI (never mind Test) class all-rounder as there is of me eating my computer.

I dont think Hopes' case is completely hopeless. His batting isnt really worthy of a top order slot, but he is very powerful and very adaptable, the sort of player who can come in late in the innings and hit long balls right from the word go and he's taken some very good bowlers apart for Queensland so I do hold out some hope for his chances of success with the bat.
His bowling is a less clever and effective impression of Ian Harvey, I wouldnt have thought he'd be awfully effective at ODI level, but then again Shane Watson has done a job as a decent 5th bowler for a reasonable proportion of his career and Hopes is certainly a better OD bowler than Watson.

I see his career going down the Ian Harvey path of doing very well in domestic cricket and always being on the fringes of the team without ever really establishing himself, due to being useful in both disciplines but not really good enough with either.

 

[iamdavid]

Was chosen as an all-rounder TBH, something the Australian selectors thought they desperately needed.

I would be very interested to see how Watson fared at the selection table if he were a specialist batsman, I know his bowling was obviously a factor in that selection but I wonder just how much it had to do with it, the selectors arent stupid they know he's never going to run through a test side with the ball he's only ever gonna bowl 15 overs a day of backup.
In the longer form of the game I think Watson's batting credentials may be every bit as good as Michael Clarke's....more so before the Ashes than now given Clarke's form and Watsons injuries but it would still be pretty close.

 

[howardj]

The problem for Hopes is, as was obvious from the last run he was given, the selectors are not willing to bat him up the top of the order in place of one of the current top six. Therefore, he hardly gets a hit and thus his position as an allrounder is rendered redundant - which therefore means he is not worth a place in the team, as nobody could seriously argue that he merits a place as a specialist bowler.

Back on topic - no, it's dramatic to say Watson's career is over. However, you do reach a stage in your life when you realise that time is ticking away. Surely Watson, now 26 years old, has reached that stage with his career and should seriously consider giving up bowling. The years are going by and he's spending them on the sideline. The key thing with Watson, is that unlike the aforementioned Hopes, he has options. He can make it just performing one discipline - he averages 50 in FC with the bat.

 

[Perm]

I would be very interested to see how Watson fared at the selection table if he were a specialist batsman, I know his bowling was obviously a factor in that selection but I wonder just how much it had to do with it, the selectors arent stupid they know he's never going to run through a test side with the ball he's only ever gonna bowl 15 overs a day of backup.
In the longer form of the game I think Watson's batting credentials may be every bit as good as Michael Clarke's....more so before the Ashes than now given Clarke's form and Watsons injuries but it would still be pretty close.

Oh, t'would indeed have been interesting if Watson had been partially injured and unable to bowl. Although I guess the selectors wouldn't have picked him in order for him to recover, and I doubt we'll ever get a Watson vs Clarke case when it comes to selection for a team purely because of batting.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

I know it's not what Watson will be thinking, but Hopes can't lace his boots. There's about as much chance of Hopes becoming a ODI (never mind Test) class all-rounder as there is of me eating my computer.

I know he isn't that good, but he's not done anything wrong so far this series and I can see Watson being a touch worried that he'll be batting at 4 for QLD for the rest of the summer.

 

[four_or_six]

I know he isn't that good, but he's not done anything wrong so far this series and I can see Watson being a touch worried that he'll be batting at 4 for QLD for the rest of the summer.

Make that opening

 

[vic_orthdox]

Hopes has used the slower pace of the subcontinent pitches to his advantage and bowled really well. Much better than what I would have expected Watson to.

 

[pup11]

For me what i like about Hopes is that he is a 100 percenter (stealing Barry Richards's word there but these words sum up Hopes perfectly as a player), he is not the most talented player on the face of this planet but he works hard and he is determined to do well and after every season he has improved as a player due to that.
So big :thumbs up: to Jimmy for that.
As far as Watto is concerned he has been pretty unlucky to suffer with all these injuries and as soon as he can sort out his injury problems he would be able to concentrate on his cricket and then he would have a solid career for Australia, so its too early to count Watto out.