Australian Cricket Team has been a dominant force in world cricket since the inception of the game. They have had great batsmen such as Sir Don Bradman, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, and many more. The Australian Cricket Team always has had great bowlers as well. Glenn McGrath, Jim Laker, Dennis Lille, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Gillespie! The list goes on and on. But when you speak about all-rounders in the Australian Cricket team, there is just one name. Shane Watson! Shane Watson is someone who cannot be replaced. Just the kind of impact Shane Watson has had is unthinkable. Here is a look at the 5 replacements of Shane Watson tried by Australia:
Dan Christian Was Expected to Replace Shane Watson:
Dan Christian was expected to be a replacement for Shane Watson. Christian a pace-bowling all-rounder is currently one of the busiest cricketers in world cricket. He is a freelance cricketer. He was expected to replace Shane Watson in the shorter formats but his performances have been lackluster. His batting is very vulnerable and he also doesn’t assure you a good spell of 4 overs.
Moises Henriques Was Expected to Replace Shane Watson:
Moises Henriques, a star from the Sydney Sixers camp was also expected to replace Shane Watson. Henriques made a mark on the international circuit during the 2013 Australia tour of India. Moises Henriques and his stocks have dropped over the years. Henriques has failed to fill the void of Shane Watson.
Mitchell Marsh Was Expected to Replace Shane Watson:
Mitchell Marsh impressed every cricket fan with his daddy hundred in the Ashes 2017. Marsh, who hails from a family of cricketers was cited to be the ideal replacement for Shane Watson. He was exceptional in his performances with the bat as well as the ball. Mitchell Marsh took a 5-wicket haul against arch-rivals England in the 2015 World Cup. But due to his injuries, his career has gone on a downward spiral.
Cameron Green Is Expected to Replace Shane Watson:
Cameron Green first came to the front in the Border Gavaskar Trophy 2020. Green has had poor performances in his short career of 5 test matches. He had to wait till his fifth game to claim his first wicket in his career. The movie of his career is yet to be finished but the trailer doesn’t look great. He has struggled with the bat as well. Also, there are no signs that the Australian team will consider Cameron for the white-ball formats.
Marcus Stoinis Is Expected to Replace Shane Watson:
Marcus Stoinis is a front runner in the race to be the pace-bowling all-rounder for the Australian Cricket Team. Stoinis has improved his batting abilities by fourfolds. His bowling abilities were never in question. However, the drawback of Stoinis is that he doesn’t play the red-ball game.
With all this being said and done, I would say that Shane Watson is irreplaceable. An impact player who plays all the 3 formats for the national team with the same efficiency is found rarely. Shane Watson was a complete package.
