Watson, Asif return to place of debut
Saturday, 2 January 2010
Five years have passed since Shane Watson and Mohammad Asif made their Test debuts at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Despite inauspicious outings - Watson fell over delivering his first ball, Asif failed to take a wicket in either innings - great things were expected of the duo by their respective nations, both of which had invested much time and many resources into their development, reports Cricinfo
This week, Watson and Asif return to the SCG having managed just 14 further Tests since their initial Sydney experience. Injuries, role realignment and, in the case of Asif, drug indiscretions have severely disrupted what might have been a prosperous few years at a time when both teams were desperately attempting to unearth a new generation of superstars. This certainly wasn't in the script.
Fate, however, has conspired to deliver both players back to the SCG in the kind of senior roles originally predicted for them. Granted, few in 2005 would have tipped Watson to one day open the innings at a time when he was sandwiched between Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne at No. 7, but his match-winning ability with bat and ball, along with the selection flexibility he offers, were precisely the outcomes Australia's selectors had hoped would materialise.
This week, Watson and Asif return to the SCG having managed just 14 further Tests since their initial Sydney experience. Injuries, role realignment and, in the case of Asif, drug indiscretions have severely disrupted what might have been a prosperous few years at a time when both teams were desperately attempting to unearth a new generation of superstars. This certainly wasn't in the script.
Fate, however, has conspired to deliver both players back to the SCG in the kind of senior roles originally predicted for them. Granted, few in 2005 would have tipped Watson to one day open the innings at a time when he was sandwiched between Adam Gilchrist and Shane Warne at No. 7, but his match-winning ability with bat and ball, along with the selection flexibility he offers, were precisely the outcomes Australia's selectors had hoped would materialise.