Shane Watson, is he unlucky or what?

[four_or_six]

Giving up bowling for Watson just isn't plausible, unless he genuinely can't do it any more, which seems unlikely. Perhaps if it was a stress fracture problem or something he could consider focusing on his batting, but not for a calf strain.

Watson's got a long way to go in his career yet, and is probably still 3 or 4 years short of his peak, and perhaps longer short of his peak as a batsman. There's no way he's going to make a decision like that now.

Are you Watto in disguise?

http://www.thewest.com.au/aapstory.aspx?StoryName=370362

 

[deeps]

Mind you, White will probably be called into the squad as cover anyway.

I think it'd be better getting Hussey or Clarke to bowl 10 overs than White tbh

 

[honestbharani]

He is very unfortunate that he gets injured so often, but I never really thought he was anything special as a bowler, tbh.

 

[Prince EWS]

He is very unfortunate that he gets injured so often, but I never really thought he was anything special as a bowler, tbh.

Well, I don't think anyone ever claimed him to be anything special as a bowler. The idea was for him to be something special as a batsman and maintain himself as a useful to decent bowler. At times this has looked like happening, but these times have always been followed by injury.

 

[Richard]

"Gymwork" is seen as an effective method of injury prevention. Except in Watson's case, evidently...

Seen as by who?

Some people believe that a lot of what cricketers do in the gym is setting people up to get injured.

 

[honestbharani]

Well, I don't think anyone ever claimed him to be anything special as a bowler. The idea was for him to be something special as a batsman and maintain himself as a useful to decent bowler. At times this has looked like happening, but these times have always been followed by injury.

lol, I agree. What are the other all rounder options like, for Australia?

 

[Prince EWS]

lol, I agree. What are the other all rounder options like, for Australia?

Pretty poor really.

Butterworth looks the goods for test cricket IMO, although he doesn't really have the numbers to back it up as yet. Definitely needs more time playing for Tasmania before he should be considered.

Hopes does a lot in domestic cricket but I highly doubt he'd be very successful in international cricket. He could well be a handy ODI player - although nothing particularly special with either bat or ball - but his bowling would be pretty much useless at test level.

Andrew McDonald is an interesting one, but another one whose bowling I think would be too toothless for test cricket - and he isn't a very good one day batsman, so he could well miss out on the count of his abilities not aligning in one form.

 

[honestbharani]

Pretty poor really.

Butterworth looks the goods for test cricket IMO, although he doesn't really have the numbers to back it up as yet. Definitely needs more time playing for Tasmania before he should be considered.

Hopes does a lot in domestic cricket but I highly doubt he'd be very successful in international cricket. He could well be a handy ODI player - although nothing particularly special with either bat or ball - but his bowling would be pretty much useless at test level.

Andrew McDonald is an interesting one, but another one whose bowling I think would be too toothless for test cricket - and he isn't a very good one day batsman, so he could well miss out on the count of his abilities not aligning in one form.

Hopes is the one on stand-by, right?


Heard so much about him for a number of years now. Amazed he hasn't had that much international cricket.

 

[Prince EWS]

Hopes is the one on stand-by, right?


Heard so much about him for a number of years now. Amazed he hasn't had that much international cricket.

Yeah, Hopes is on standby. He's a pretty good one day batsman, although not really quite international class. His bowling is very much in the Ian Harvey mould except of worse quality.

 

[honestbharani]

Well, that doesn't sound too promising for him or for Australia.


I thought that even Watson wasn't such an important player for them. I think what they need is a bowling all rounder than a batting one and from what you say, it seems there aren't that many of those going around in Oz at the moment.


BTW, on a totally unrelated note, congrats on the award this week. I have dug up some threads recently and I now see why everyone has been complimenting you this week. Great posting. Keep it up.

 

[shortpitched713]

I think what they need is a bowling all rounder than a batting one and from what you say, it seems there aren't that many of those going around in Oz at the moment.

Well for ODIs they have Brad Hogg, but they always seem afraid to play him anywhere above number 8 for whatever reason.

 

[Dasgupta]

Well for ODIs they have Brad Hogg, but they always seem afraid to play him anywhere above number 8 for whatever reason.

Hogg at 7 leaves a long, long tail

 

[Perm]

Well for ODIs they have Brad Hogg, but they always seem afraid to play him anywhere above number 8 for whatever reason.

If they did play Hogg at 7, then the tail would be too long, especially without Brett Lee to bolster it.

 

[Gladiator667]

Watson may look physically in good knick, but is he exceeding his limitations in the bowling department.

I think its no coincidence that since Watson has picked up his pace and been moulded into this 135-140km/h Quickie, thats hes started getting injured all the time while BOWLING.

Other Aussie Bowlers had problems with injuries Gillespe, Kasprowicz and Fleming were 3 prime examples.

They Shortened the run-up and changed there bowling style to less impact and reduced the occurance of injuries.

For me Watson isnt a 'fast Bowler' Australia doesnt need a 140km/h bowling Allrounder... Sure we want one... but it takes someone very special to fill that role.

I'd prefer to see Australia with an All-rounder bowling around 120-125km/h and providing VARIETY to the attack. Whats the point of having an all-rounder that bowls identical pace to the rest of the attack.

Watson may be that man, and personally he will always be injured unless he does change.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

His dislocated shoulder didn't happen while he was bowling.

 

[Gladiator667]

His dislocated shoulder didn't happen while he was bowling.

True, but that can happen to any player. It doesnt make them unlucky, some people sub-consiously put themselves into the position to be injured (its why you see some players repeatably get injured). But there no such thing as luck youv'e made a decision and either put yourself in the right or wrong place at any given time.

Look at all the minor injuries he's getting at the moment, Strains, Tears, Stress Factures etc. I've been involved with Sports and the rehab side for years, sometimes on the injured side and more preferably on the treatment side... someone getting these sort of injuries consistantly only suggest that they are putting there body under too much pressure.

With Watson its quite obviously coming from Bowling.

Whether he likes it or not he Now has stuffed hamstrings and the latest is his calf - You can do all the work you want on these things but they will never be the same and always be more vulnerable if you keep persisting with the things that aggravated it in the first place.

Steve Waugh had similar problems and gave up bowling, Watson Doesnt have that luxury - Shorten the run and save the Hammy's

 

[pup11]

Mate, bowling at a lesser pace is not a solution to Watson's injury problems, because even when he was bowling at 125-130 kmph he had career threatening stress-fractures and tears.



One has to give benefit of doubt to Watto's latest injury because the sand-based outfield at Antigua caused a lot of problems to almost every bowler.


So you can the poor quality of the outfield caused Watto's injury, more than anything.

 

[shortpitched713]

If they did play Hogg at 7, then the tail would be too long, especially without Brett Lee to bolster it.

I feel that as well but if Lee was in the picture I think that would probably be the best option hands down, especially with the way that the Aussie top order batsmen are playing.

 

[Perm]

I feel that as well but if Lee was in the picture I think that would probably be the best option hands down, especially with the way that the Aussie top order batsmen are playing.

If Lee was there, then it would definately be worth considering. But since he isn't, it's not the best idea to bat Hogg anywhere above #8.

 

[Gladiator667]

Mate, bowling at a lesser pace is not a solution to Watson's injury problems, because even when he was bowling at 125-130 kmph he had career threatening stress-fractures and tears.



One has to give benefit of doubt to Watto's latest injury because the sand-based outfield at Antigua caused a lot of problems to almost every bowler.


So you can the poor quality of the outfield caused Watto's injury, more than anything.

The orignal problem was he had a 'bad action' and was bowling at 125-130km/hr - it was the incorrect action that caused that problem, they corrected his bad action, but then he tried to up the pace, pushing his body to the limits again, Its not rocket science.

Personally I also think Watson would be more effective and more use to the Australian side as a medium pacer that doesnt break down every 6 matches.

I'm sick of people making excuses for him, he's not unlucky he's a bloody idiot. Here's this bloke that has great talent and I cant wait to see him in the Test side let alone the ODI side. Yet he keeps on persisting with pushing his body beyond its limitations and constantly getting himself injured.

Sure the outfields over there arent the best, and there have been other players getting injured... but deal with it, its part of being a professional sportsman, how is he ever going to be Australia test allrounder if he struggles to get through 10 overs in Limited overs fixtures.

I'm sure that McGrath could have bowled at 140km/hr+. Yet he played within his limitations after he started getting injured to much. As did Lillee, Gillespie, Fleming, Hughes, and a host of other great Aussie fast bowlers.