It’s not often that I compliment Australian cricketers, unless they are good looking of course. And it’s definitely not often that I compliment arrogant little pricks but Shane Watson has made it hard to help myself.
If there were cricket fairytales scripted, Watson would play the hero, the villain and the ugly step mother.
Originally as you might or might not know, Twatto wasn’t even close to the top order and he was a shitty bowler. Fast forward to 2009 and you have an annoying superstar. 30 July 2009 – Watto comes out as an opener against England in the Ashes and scores 62 in the first innings and 53 in the second innings. After that, he just seemed to keep on going and going from there.
His form in the Test matches translated into some of the ODIs recently played and then he started to take wickets. The really good stuff came during the Australian summer and, while the Aussies were playing we’re the schizos of the cricketing world Pakistan and my word we are crap and we shut up shop as soon as Gayle goes out West Indies, Watto was firing.
Here are his averages:
Tests: Played (from November 2009): 6, Scored: 609 runs, High score: 120*, Average: 60.90, Wickets: 13
ODIs (From September 2009): Played: 18, Scored: 817 runs, High Score: 136*, Average: 51.06, Wickets: 24
Twenty20s (from Feb2010): Played: 3, Scored: 107 runs, High Score: 62*, Average: 53.50, Wickets: 6
That is some pretty impressive stuff for a man who, just a few years back, wasn’t really anybody worth mentioning. Now he is screaming at Chris Gayle like a man possessed, winning Allan Border medals for ODI player of the year and runner up for Test player of the year all while pissing everyone off – even Australians. The thing that makes Watson quite great is the fact that he is a damn entertaining player to watch.
He oozes passion and does not think, not very often anyway. He was struggling to get make 100 because every time he got close he’d try to get there with style. It cost him his wicket a few times but when he got there, my god was it beautiful to watch.
It now remains to be seen if he can carry this form with him when Australia face some tougher opposition. And, of course, if his injuries can stay away. If it does, future Test captain Mr. Lara Bingle might have to watch his back.
On a different note: Corrie van Zyl is churning out the excuses for the ODI series the Saffers are about to lose (we care more about squad rotation, etc, etc) and David Warner scored the second fastest T20 half ton today. People were calling it all kinds of nice things but who really cares? The West Indies are crap and they pretty much gifted him that feat. Also, it’s T20…and while it is ok to like T20, nobody should really be getting aesthetic boners about silly things like bang bang half tons. It says a lot about you if you do…
I thought I’d take some time before I write anything about the Test, at least a day or two. I got distracted and
it’s now Thursday and I am finally writing something.
To say that I am surprised is an understatement. Overly surprised, dumb struck and feeling a bit sheepish is also a
slight understatement. South Africa actually did well in India and yet I am quite annoyed by it. Don’t ask me why, South Africans like to complain. About everything. So I’ve found something to complain about.
When South Africa beat Australia, the Aussies were missing quite a few of their star players and everybody were happy and praising the Proteas. All this while Australia were building a team for the future. A team that ended up losing the Ashes nonetheless but still a team for the future.
Now South Africa have beaten India. And India were withouth Yuvraj Singh, Sreesanth, VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid. That’s a pretty staunch line-up in itself. But add those names to the Indian squad and it’s pretty intimidating.
Some of the ways in which the Indian batsmen got out were just stupid. They were going all out batting hara-kiri at the best of times. And the Saffer bowlers cashed in. Even Paul Harris took wickets. He kept hitting a certain line and eventually the batsmen just got bored and annoyed and gave their wicket away cause it’s easier than putting up with Harro’s “mystery bowling”. Mystery of how he is in the national side.
Then India almost made South Africa their bunny and almost made them bat again. It wouldn’t have been for long, maybe just 50-odd runs but they would have had to bat again. I would have been more content had South Africa not won by an innings and six runs because that would prove that we just don’t have that killing instinct. We don’t.
Now everybody is saying that all these changes are good and they couldn’t have happened at a better time. Have any of you heard of beginner’s luck? What has Corrie van Zyl actually changed? The same team that played England played against India. That same team that hammered England, hammered India. Where are the changes? Is it because all the players are scared of losing their side in the national side that they have finally ignitated the spark in their bums?
India’s selectors have finally woken up. VVS is back for the second Test and so are people like Karthik and a whole bunch of other people who are quite scary. Rohit Sharm and Pragyan Ojha, they are all there. And if they are picked for the second Test at Eden Gardens then we might end up with a draw. One of those really dull draws. It might be exciting at times, come alive in bits and bops like it so often happens on Indian pitches but it’ll still be a draw.
And then South Africa will be number one in the world again and everybody will praise van Zyl and CSA on their thinking and the changes they have made and the national side will be heroes. Only until they run into an Ottis Gibson inspired West Indies later in the year to lose or embarrass themselves in some way or the other. Then the rubbish starts all over again.
Because when everything goes right then surely there has to be something wrong. I know, look at what I just wrote.
Ps. @Tifosiguy thank you for putting the curse on Chelsea. Please do not allow them to win any more games until the end of the season.
Yesterday I spoke about the dreaded DH. Today I shake my head in dismay. If Jacques Kallis can’t even score 200 on a flat pitch in India he really should just give it up.
I think administrators should just introduce a rule that he has to get out on 150 so that he can save himself the disappointment of getting oh so close every time. Give up.
Graeme Smith, for once, was being an absolute tit when it comes to declaration. He obviously didn’t want to give his record up so he declared before Hashim Amla could get there. How the Saffers are going to take 20 wickets on this pitch is beyond me. They have plenty of runs on the board but they forget who India have batting for them. I don’t need to mention names. You just say the words Indian batting line up to leave people quivering in their boots. It’s going to take something really, really special if they are to pull of a win here.
I have a feeling that this Test is going to end in a disappointing draw. There are no English players involved and only England are capable of epic draws. Could this be the most over-hyped Test of the year? No wonder India didn’t want Tests played here, this is so damn boring.
Meanwhile, on the otherside of the world, the West Indies were humiliated. I wrote a series preview for the West Indies Cricket News site and it seems my watch out for prediction has been spot on thus far. I didn’t manage to catch any of the game but judging by the reports, the Tweets and the scorecard the boys of the Caribbean were well shit.
Are they trying to lul Australia into a false sense of security? Get their guard down and pounce them in the next match? I don’t know. I hope so. I think I was Australian in an English life because I think I criticize the South African team more than most Australians.
Until tomorrow. xoxo
Ms. Pr1nt
The simple answer to that incredibly complex question is no. Not at the moment. Maybe last year but not right now. I am a fan of some of India’s cricketers. I’m certainly a fan of their fans but I am not a fan of them being number one. Virender Sehwag’s chirp prior to their first Test against Bangladesh irked me slightly. As much as Bangladesh are like school boy team, stacked with talent but with absolutely zero temperament, it’s not nice to say that they can’t take 20 wickets. They can’t, we know, and in this dog eat dog type of cricketing world – some punches below the belt are okay but you wouldn’t punch your 16-year old child in the nuts.
There was a stage during India’s second innings where it looked like Sehwag was going to wait until India were nine down before declaring and then go: ” LOLOLOL!!!0one Told ya so, lol!”
But he didn’t. Because Bangladesh are shit at taking wickets and cashing in on momentum.
But, in all honesty – nobody deserves to be number one at the moment. There should be a gap at the top saying, come get me bitches. Like a really pretty lady in a tight dress flirting with a bunch of guys who she’s never going to give it to.
If number ones were judged on things that aren’t cricket related then West Indies would be number one. Why? Because they are damn entertaining, they are passionate and when they are not passionate they might be stoned and when they might be stoned they look like they couldn’t really give a shit about winning anything they just like lazing around on the green, green grass. They also have the super villain called Sulieman Benn. And they have Chris Gayle – the ninja. Kieron Pollard. Kemar Roach. Fidel Edwards. Lendl Simmons. On paper, not only do their names look cool but they look like fucking Titans.
