Dominator and destructor: Shane Watson

The Senior Men’s Australian Cricket Team had their golden period during the first decade of 2000. The men in yellow were dominating across all the formats and in every corner of the world. The team then was packed with quality players. The brainy tactics of captain Ricky Ponting, and the likes of Adam Gilchrist and Shane Watson on their side, made them truly invincible.

Today, in this article by ZAP cricket, we will throw some light on the career trajectory of the Australian GOAT- Shane Watson, also known as Watto.

Watson was a right handed batter and a right arm fast bowler. He was one of the most successful all rounders as he achieved a rare feat of scoring more than 10,000 runs and taking 250 wickets in international cricket. He was a complete player as far as his skill set was concerned. He played powerful shots in all the segments of the ground. It was really difficult to take his wicket as he was a strong headed batsman. His thrive to win matches for his country was always seen in his sparkling eyes. And when he bowled, one could see the same aggression in his run

Early life and domestic cricket 

Born on 17 June, 1981 in Queensland, Australia, Watson started playing cricket at an early age. He attended St Mary's Primary School and Ipswich Grammar School. He began club cricket in Ipswich for a local club. He played Under 17 interstate league in 1996-97 and Under 19 league in 1997-2000.

Because of his stellar performance in the domestic circuit, he was picked to represent Australia in the 2000 U19 Cricket World Cup. Later, he played first class domestic cricket for Tasmania.

International career 

Watson received his maiden call to play for Australia at the age of 21. He made his ODI debut on 24 March, 2002 vs South Africa, Test debut on 2 January, 2005 V Pakistan and T20I debut on 24 February, 2006 vs South Africa.  

He was tall and muscular and that always helped him in smashing sixes or taking wickets. It is never easy to be a medium pacer all rounder as it requires a lot of hardwork and dedication, but Watson went through the hard yards and proved the world what he was capable of. 

Apart from his individual milestones, Watson even captained Australia occasionally. 

His international career lasted for nearly 14 years as he took retirement in 2016. Later in 2020, he retired from all forms of cricket, including domestic and franchise cricket.  

International stats 

Awards and achievements 

• Bradman Young Cricketer of the year in 2002
• Ranked World No. 1 in ODI in 2011 and in T20 from 2011 till 2014
• Men’s ODI player of the year in 2010, 2011 and 2012
• Men’s T20 Player of the year in 2012,2013 and 2017
• Test player to the year in 2011
• Awarded with Allan Border Medal twice in 2010, 2011 for being the most outstanding Australian male cricketer of the season
• Won World Cup in 2007 and 2015
• Won Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009
• ICC Men’s ODI team of the Year in 2010, 2011, 2012 

Franchise cricket 

IPL

Shane Watson was in ‘Royal Fort’ for seven years as he was picked by Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural season only. Then, in 2016 he was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore for a couple of  editions. Later, during the dawn of his IPL career, he was with Chennai Super Kings as he played for them from 2018 till 2020. 

He was one of the favorite overseas players in the league as he was a master in consistency, both with the bat and the ball. He was ‘Player of the tournament’ in IPL in 2008 and 2013 and that was the testament of his contribution in the domestic league in India. In 2022, he joined Delhi Capitals as assistant coach. 

Watson played 145 IPL matches, scoring 3,874 runs and taking 92 wickets. His performance with each of the franchise was as follows: 

 BBL and CPL

In Big Bash League, Watson played for Sydney Sixers (2011/12), Brisbane Heat (2012/13) and Sydney Thunder (2015/16-2018/19). He featured in 41 matches, scoring 1031 runs and taking 18 wickets. He was the first Australian to score a century in

In Caribbean Premier League, he played for St Lucia Stars in 2016-17. His scores in all the leagues reflected his adaptability and his persona as the finest cricketer. He left his mark wherever he played, no matter what tournament or which country. 

Life beyond Cricket

In 2017, Watson launched a sports clinic- ‘Let’s Activate’ where his aim was to teach basics of sports skills to children using songs, movements, etc. Then in 2019, he was elected as president of the Australian Cricketers Association. Presently, he has his own podcast channel known as ‘Lessons learnt with the greats’ where he chats with the elites of the game. Along with all the stuff outside the field, Watson is also associated with various teams as a coach and even does commentary occasionally. He is a proven all rounder, both on and off the field.