[1]Shane Watson has realised he can never give up bowling completely in his career after watching his team mates getting butchered by the Indian batsmen during the first Test, which left the Australian all-rounder with a temptation to start rolling his arms over again.
Ravaged by injuries, Watson had commitment to playing only as a batsman on his comeback during the four-Test series, but with the Aussies struggling to contain the hosts, he is itching to bowl again.
“That was a time that reaffirmed to me that I do want to bowl,” Watson was quoted as saying by ESPN cricinfo.
“That was a time where if I hadn’t have made the decision not to bowl for this tour that I could have had some input on the game at a crucial time in the match. That to me was the first time over the last month since I came back that I missed bowling.
“The decision I made is more a longer-term decision to get some running and conditioning into my legs, so when I start bowling again, my body has more chance of handling it. “I do appreciate the decision but it certainly reaffirmed to me that I’m never going to give up bowling. It excites me having some input on the game, especially when what I do could have an influence on a certain part of the game,” he added.
However, Watson said he will stick to his plan of resuming bowling during the second half of the IPL so that he can contribute with the ball during Australia’s Ashes tour of England in July and August. “That thought (of bowling at a later stage during the India tour) has gone through my mind a few times but I suppose we do have to stay on course,” said Watson, who has taken 12 wickets at 33.41 in his past six Tests in India.
“There were reasons why I made that decision — to try and get my body conditioned enough to get back into bowling. “I know I’ve needed two or three months just to be able to get some conditioning into my body, to then hopefully hold together for the next period of time once I get back bowling again.”
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/watsonjpg-036