Veteran allrounder Shane Watson says he’s only got himself to blame for his World Cup axing, but he’s vowed to bounce back if given the chance.
Watson was forced to make way for the returning James Faulkner when Australia scored a 275-run win over Afghanistan, and he faces an uphill battle to break back into the side for Sunday’s crunch clash with Sri Lanka at the SCG.
The 33-year-old has averaged just 22.3 from his past 11 ODI innings, and his form in the Test arena has also been patchy.
With Faulkner and Mitch Marsh now favoured as Australia’s premier ODI allrounders, Watson may need to rely on injuries or poor form in order to win back his spot.
But he’s not giving up hope, especially with the World Cup knockout stage just around the corner.
“I believe in myself and my own abilities. If an opportunity comes along, I’ll be ready to go,” Watson said before he flew from Perth to Sydney on Thursday.
“I know I haven’t scored enough runs, so I’ve only got myself to blame. That’s the way it goes.
“There are things I’ve made adjustments on even before I got dropped to try to improve and give myself a better chance to score runs and perform.
“I’m always trying to get better and learn, so that’s all I can do.”
Former Test paceman Stuart Clark believes Watson’s future is now in jeopardy.
“The reality is, what do you do with Shane Watson now? Can you bring him back into the team?” Clark told Fox Sports.
“Because the other argument is, ‘Why are we bringing back a 33-year-old?’
“I don’t want to say it’s the end for Shane Watson, but it’s going to be very difficult, and he’s going to have to continuously get runs in first-class cricket to work his way back in.”
Marsh looked proppy during his three-over spell against Afghanistan.
But skipper Michael Clarke said it was nothing more than an issue with Marsh’s boot rather than a flare-up of his troublesome hamstrings.
“I asked him if he was all right and he said, ‘I’m completely fine’,” Clarke said.
Sunday’s match against Sri Lanka is set to decide who finishes second in Pool A.
Should Australia lose that match and finish third, they could be thrust into a quarter-final against arch rivals South Africa, and an away semi-final against NZ.
Meanwhile, Clarke said the flexibility of his side with both bat and ball was a major asset that could prove crucial to their World Cup chances.
Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood are all capable of opening the bowling, while Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, and Mitch Marsh are all adept at various batting positions.
“I love that about this side,” Clarke said.
“I feel that guys are willing to go up and bat at four, five, six – whatever it is – or bowl first change or not at all.
“I think that’s a really important luxury to have … flexibility.”
