Aw no, Watt0's retired (from Tests)

[ImpatientLime]

tasty bait

 

[harsh.ag]

Watto wilted under pressure a lot too, so number 6 may indeed have been ideal for him

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah he sucked against spin...so did a lot of Aussie batsmen of his generation. He might have had a chance to improve against it (or just smash the ****s like Symonds). In any case his place in the side was never truly questioned, so worst case would have been Australia having a few more experienced openers to pick from.

He was going to be in the side anyway. The not-quite-good-enough player sits better at 6 than at 1-3, IMO, even with a weakness against spin.

Yeah it's a timeline thing. At the time that they were trying to slot him into the side, he was down the order because that's a traditional route for Aussie bats and to move them up later. He was known as a top-3 bat for QLD so there was always going to be the impetus to bat him at 3, notwithstanding his iffy play against spin. Was just a better fit and he was averaging 50 in FC cricket at 3, had a double ton in a Shield final, etc. Had he outright failed as an opener, probably would have been pushed back to 6 for the reasons you said.

 

[sledger]

Watto is the kind of allrounder than the smaller nations like Sri Lanka can only dream of tbh.

 

[Jono]

Mathews and Murali were way better allrounders.

 

[Furball]

Imagine insulting Jacob Oram by comparing him to Watson.

 

[SteveNZ]

It's still unfathomable how such a surly, unlikeable, unmarketable cricketer with no level of consistency and a major history of injuries, traversed the mountain to become nigh-on the most highly-paid cricketer in the world. I cannot explain it.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Since Chris Gayle doesn't qualify as an allrounder I'd say the Windies and Zim are the only teams which haven't had better test allrounders than Watto in the last ten years.

 

[marc71178]

I'd say that vastly underrates Watson. Would love you to name all these wonderful all rounders.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I'd say that vastly underrates Watson. Would love you to name all these wonderful all rounders.

South Africa - Kallis
Bangladesh - Shakib
England - Flintoff
NZ- Vettori & Oram
India - Ashwin
Sri Lanka - Mathews
Pakistan - Hafeez

Watson is better than Bravo, Sammy (Holder might be a different story) and any Zimbabweans.

 

[hendrix]

hmmm,

Flintoff, Stokes just about there
Mathews
Shakib
Kallis
Ashwin?
Vettori? Oram?

Can't think of anyone from Pakistan, and some of those are definitely more bowling allrounders that wouldn't really challenge Watson's place in a side.

 

[NZTailender]

Yeah most are bowling all-rounders. Watson was a batting all-rounder. Of the batting all-rounders Kallis only one more effective with the ball. Shakib's a spinner and usually the primary one at that and adds different value so would naturally choose him ahead of Watson. Maybe Oram the only other I'd think of rivalling in the batting stakes and his bowling was more effective too it would seem; everyone else ahead on their bowling. Not that clear cut.

Plus how many of those all-rounders, apart from Kallis, spent a lot of their career at 1-3?

 

[Flem274*]

Mathews, Shakib and Oram are definitely more successful batsmen than Watto. Watson is a bit different in that he covers six positions in the batting order, but in the end if you had that pool of allrounders I'd take Kallis and Mathews ahead of him for the top order and Shakib, Cairns, Flintoff and Oram for lower down (I think Watson was underrated with the ball and better than Oram and Mathews but he still needs his batting). Watson would have to open to play.

Depends what the balance needs.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Mathews, Shakib and Oram are definitely more successful batsmen than Watto. Watson is a bit different in that he covers six positions in the batting order, but in the end if you had that pool of allrounders I'd take Kallis and Mathews ahead of him for the top order and Shakib, Cairns, Flintoff and Oram for lower down (I think Watson was underrated with the ball and better than Oram and Mathews but he still needs his batting). Watson would have to open to play.

Depends what the balance needs.

Don't go nuts.

 

[NZTailender]

Oram played some damn fine knocks, especially with the teams back up against the wall. In hindsight, he would've been better off concentrating on his batting rather than being a genuine (in NZ terms) allrounder.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Oram played some damn fine knocks, especially with the teams back up against the wall. In hindsight, he would've been better off concentrating on his batting rather than being a genuine (in NZ terms) allrounder.

Agreed. If the bloke was Australian or South African however, I can't seeing him having played Test cricket.

 

[Flem274*]

watson wasn't capable of scoring against mid 00s mcwarne, pakistan or south africa like oram did let's be real.

and leave it at that since kiwiviktor and grumpy already bring nz into everything.

 

[NZTailender]

Agreed. If the bloke was Australian or South African however, I can't seeing him having played Test cricket.

Same could be said of Flintoff tbf

 

[hendrix]

Agreed. If the bloke was Australian or South African however, I can't seeing him having played Test cricket.

you keep making this comment in a thread where people are talking about comparably talented players to Shane Watson, who had a long test career for Australia...are there some dots that need connecting?

 

[Bahnz]

At this solemn occasion, let's take a look back at the highlights of Watto's career.

I also understand he played cricket. What a man.