Shane Watson Still Has the Ability to Play for Australia: Marcus Stoinis

It was a Shane Watson special which susbequently helped Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to lift their Indian Premier League (IPL) title by defeating the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by eight wickets and with nine deliveries to spare.

Watson was at his sublime best and literally smashed the Hyderabad bowlers all around the park. He eventually remained unbeaten on 117 off just 57 deliveries which were studded with 11 fours and eight hits over the fence. It was carnage on display by Watson as he tormented the star-studded Hyderabad bowling line-up.

Following his once in a lifetime knock in a big match like the final, Aussie all-rounder Marcus Stoinis stated that he believes Watson is still good enough to play for the national team.

It was some effortless hitting by Watson on super Sunday (May 27) which proved to be the game changer. He almost single-handedly helped Chennai chase down the target of 179 with utmost ease. Watson retired from international cricket in 2016.

“He’s still good enough to play for Australia, for sure. (But) I think he enjoys having family time. He played a lot of cricket for Australia in a demanding time, so I think he’s just enjoying playing the odd tournament and then going back (to his family),” Stoinis was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

Stoinis was also of the opinion that Watson wasn’t valued that much during the course of his illustrious career.

“I don’t think the Australian public realised how good he was when he was playing for Australia,” Stoinis maintained.

All-rounder Stoinis lavished praise on Watson for helping the former owing to the improvement.

“We sat down over there (in India) and he’s mentored me for a couple of years now. His hunger to keep getting better at the end of his career, it’s no coincidence why he’s so good,” revealed Stoinis.

Shane Watson had a forgettable season with the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) last year. He scored just 71 runs in eight matches. 

However, he was at his exceptional best this year as he ended with 555 runs at an average if 39.64

“I watched him closely at the Big Bash and there were signs that he was in good form. I had no doubt he was going to make an impact. Fitness was an issue as it is a long tournament but he is more professional than even I thought. He is a bit broken now,” CSK’s coach Stephen Fleming stated while comparing Watson’s last couple of seasons.

Also Read:IPL 2018: I am Not 100% Fit but Batting Isn’t an Issue – Chris Lynn