After
Australia’s shock loss to England in the first test of this year’s Ashes
series, the Australian selectors have finally made their move on the heavily
scrutinised all-rounder Shane Watson.
 |
| Shane Watson is unlikely to play in Australian whites again. |
It
is safe to say that Watson did not reach expectations in a cricket match of the
highest stakes with 0 wickets for both innings and two LBW dismissals (not to
mention his countless failed DRS reviews) on 19 and 30 in the first and second
innings respectively.
As
a result, the Australian selectors are set to drop the 34-year-old for the
second test, and ultimately for the rest of his career wearing whites.
Over
the years Watson has been one of Cricket Australia’s most protected species,
but the Australian selectors are almost entirely to blame for Watson’s ongoing
victimisation of ridicule.
Nearly all successful Australian cricketers have
been dropped at some stage of their career, and giving them the chance to go
back and work on deficiencies in their game.
But Watson was never dropped, wasn’t he?
He is, like all players, in a form slump but instead
of being dropped to sort it out, our selectors kept picking him and along came
the abuse.
Watto wasn’t the one who kept picking himself
regardless of his form, which is why the selectors of the past decade have
failed Australian cricket and its cricketers.
We have just become rank one in the world for Test
cricket, but all of a sudden could be on the verge of returning serve and become
the laughing stock of world cricket.
Our illustrious wicketkeeper Brad Haddin is now
gone, and now Watson is too.
Why couldn’t the selectors nutt up and make the tough
decisions before this tour?
Australia had the perfect opportunity to blood some
new guys when we played against a shambolic West Indies outfit.
Shane
Watson has become the perfect scapegoat for the loss in Cardiff against the
Poms.
But
what did newcomer Adam Voges or even Michael Clarke do?
Give the guy some credit and show a little respect.
He was one of the best players in the team for a
number of years, but clearly Aussie sporting fans are quick to turn on their
former heroes.
People forget he was, or might, still be one of the
best limited overs players players in the world.
He was the Indian Premier League inaugural best player, has
won multiple World Cups, and clinched the prestigious Allan Border medal twice.
The only problem is in International Tests over the
years, he was kept in the team for too long on what he could've done rather
than what he actually did.
Let’s not forget, Shane Watson is a better cricketer
than any of us will or would have ever been.
Young flyer Mitchell Marsh is likely to come in for
Watson with plenty of praise coming from Aussie cricket fans on the decision –
and it looks to be a right one according to a notable few.
Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh made
the most important point earlier this week that Marsh is the future of
Australian Cricket.
Marsh is said to, in time, win test matches in his
own for this country and has the potential to become one of the greatest all
rounders the game has seen.
No doubt all eyes will be on the West Australian
over the next four days in the second Ashes test at Lords.
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