One player who has struggled with injuries throughout his career is Shane Watson. His body was so hurt that six months he used to get injured. But despite these obstacles, the Australian did not give up and gave his game everything from his strong game.
A member of the 2015 ICC World Cup-winning team, Watson has also won the Indian Premier League (IPL) twice. He received much applause for his talent in the game and was also subject to scolding due to indiscipline. Watson, who made a splash for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the last years of his playing career, celebrates his birthday today, on June 17.
Watson is on the list of many successful all-rounders in world cricket. He was as an aggressive batter who would single-handedly tear down the opposing team. Due to his tall stature, Watson resembled the right-handed Matthew Hayden. He made a brilliant Test debut and scored seven fifties and a century in his first eight matches. But later, a dip in form was followed by a dispute and he was sent back home from the tour of India.
The ruckus during the India tour
In 2013, Watson was a part of the Australian team take came to India for a four-Test series. He was the vice-captain of the team that faced heavy defeats in the first two Tests. In the second Test in Hyderabad, the team lost in three and a half days. After this, coach Mickey Arthur gave homework to all the players, where he asked them to prepare three points that will improve the team's performance.
But Shane Watson, along with Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Johnson and James Pattinson did not do so. After this, the four were sent back home. But, the official statement from Cricket Australia was that Watson was given leave due to the birth of his child. The coach's statement exposed the truth.
Two years later Shane Watson, learning from his lesson, made a significant contribution to Australia's World Cup victory. He faced a wreaking spell from Wahab Riaz in the quarter-final match against Pakistan and scored an unbeaten 64 to take the team to the semi-finals. Later Australia won the World Cup for the fifth time. He left international cricket after the T20 World Cup in 2016.
The champion of CSK
After retiring from international cricket, Watson did wonders in the IPL as well. He helped CSK become third-time IPL champions. Watson scored 117 runs in 57 balls in the final as well. Then, in IPL 2019 as well, he helped his team reach the final. Despite CSK's loss by one run, the fight of Watson and his blood-stained track pants is one etched in fans' memories. After IPL 2020, he distanced himself from this tournament as well. Now he does commentary.
