A very merry Shane Watson story

In a few months, Shane Watson will be 35, a ripe-old age in cricketing terms. Despite the age, there was a vicious bidding war. And for what? A signature on a piece of paper with a validity for a year was all they were getting. Who in the right mind bids for a player in the twilight of his career? When the Royal Challengers Bangalore finally snapped him up, for massively big bucks mind you, RCB sent out a stern message.

The message, whether it was in morse code, Braille or whichever language read ‘Age is just a number’. The Ashes in 2009 was the best Ashes in the 21st century. Of course, there were the 1981 Ashes owned by Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham, but there was something special about the England summer of 2009. When England needed a hero, a volcanic individual by the name Andrew Flintoff stepped up to the plate. Following the events of the 2009 Ashes, an Australian journalist wrote – “When Freddie became Jesus”. While that broke a whole new ground in cricket as we knew it, the importance of a ‘bowling all-rounder’ in the side became imminent.

While the Aussies were left licking their wounds, the young Shane Watson, a fringe player probably exclaimed to himself ‘Never Again’. Never again would he accept such humiliation and never again would he surrender the Ashes as the Aussies had done on tour in England. Watson would go on to have a rather subdued career in Tests, but the character building that took place in 2009 made him a limited overs champion.

Eleven years of international cricket by no means is a short time. For an all-rounder especially, that time is comparable to light years in cricket. Those eleven years, however, saw Watson witness it all. He had a mammoth physique. Well build and someone who you wouldn’t want to face within the ropes of a wrestling ring. He was built like an ox with massive limbs and a torso as massive as a tree trunk. When reports came in regarding the fragility of his body, doctors and physiotherapists swooned.

Torn Hamstrings, dislocated shoulders, broken backs, stress fractures, hip complaints, calf problems, Shane Watson perhaps had each and every injury imaginable. Cricket Australia and Watson however, were not willing to give up. What rose from the Ashes was a massive individual. What was left of him wasn’t just the physically massive body ready for photo shoots and picture poses. The transformation was well and truly done. Cricket Australia, all those physiotherapists and even a bewildered Watson had succeeded. He had now become a workhorse, a minotaur of sorts.

The baggy green quite literally is something of an Oscar award. However, despite carrying the baggy green in his kit bag, for the most part, Watson was always more suited for the shorter format. Although he did feature in the 5-day game, he made an impulsive impact each time he donned the green and gold tank top and sweat pants.

By 2010, he had become the 44^th Test skipper of Australia. Watson led them with true Australian grit, but he had already made his bed. It was something of a romantic cocktail between T20 cricket and Watto. He found himself in the labyrinth of the Indian Premier League with the Rajasthan Royals. While the Royals were piecing together a young team under the legendary Shane Warne, the name ‘Shane Watson’ appeared on the front page of each and every newspaper in India. He had well and truly announced himself to the world in the sweat pants of the Royals. However, there was more to come from the proud Queenslander.

The Twenty20 format was something that was extremely popular within the island of Australia. The Australian national side despite all the stars on show in the Big Bash was, unable to embrace the shortest format of the game. But now, they not only had a limited-overs specialist but also an all-rounder in their ranks in Shane Watson. 2012 was an average year in Australian cricket. A plethora of player had announced their retirement from the side. The Australian team was a side in transition.

The 2012 edition of the World T20 loomed over the horizon as the Aussies looked to strike a balance on the side. The selectors turned to Shane Watson to provide that balance. The year 2012 was the year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar. Well, if irony has any role to play here, Shane Watson was the one who played the role of the dragon, quintessentially a rising phoenix to win Australia the title they so craved.

Although the Australians fell tantalizingly short in the semifinal against the West Indies, Shane Watson had made his mark. Scoring 249 runs in a tournament played on the driest of the dry wickets in the world, Watson had become a household name. 249 runs and 11 wickets isn’t a joke by any means. Watson had introduced the world of cricket to what many term ‘Smooth Batting’.

While his pace variations deceive and bamboozle batsmen, he is an elegant dasher with the bat. What is ‘Smooth Batting’? It’s perhaps the ability to showcase an aggressive brute with the bat and still stroke the ball with ease beyond the fence. In short, with the bat, he is a right-handed Matthew Hayden – someone who doesn’t need to apply brute force to give the ball a proper whack.

If the 11 years of Shane Watson are to be summed up, it has been perfectly done by Australian journalist Daniel Brettig. “It is realistic to say Watson is the best all-round cricketer Australia has ever fielded in gold, green or T20 black. His short-form figures would be outstanding enough as a batsman or seam bowler; together, they stand out more than his front pad on a Test afternoon”

My lasting impression of Watson came in his final international match against the Indians. Despite the fantastic Mr. Virat Kohli hogging a massive chunk of the limelight, Watson’s final over in an Aussie shirt summed up perhaps most of his career. Watson, a medium-pace bowler, who clocks around 75 to 80 mph, was seen bending his back to touch the 90 mph mark. Extraordinary is an understatement to what was witnessed. His body pounding and the excruciating pain in his back did little to stop him from bowling at the serious pace he did. An unbelievable sight.

Now, we get to that warm and fuzzy part where I say,” Thanks for the memories Watto.” That, however, wouldn’t do me much good, especially given his contribution to the game, and the fact that he’ll be playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the following season.

All that you need to know about Watson – 23 Interesting facts about Shane Watson