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…
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I still think Twatto is a fairly ordinary bowler, but as an opener he has become pretty impressive – against fairly ordinary opposition anyway. As you say, we’ll have to wait and see how tougher opposition tells on him. I feel this way about My Lord Nathan as well, I’m afraid – he bowled well this summer, but can he do it against England next summer?
.-= Sid´s last blog ..The Deed is done; the Summer is won (and I promise no more rhyming) =-.
I want to see him score runs in test cricket against fecking teams that can catch. Then I might start thinking about planning to pretend to like him.
Alternative scenario, if Twatto singlehandedly wins the Ashes, I WILL pretend to like him.