Defending champions Australia will be a better team at the upcoming World Cup since it will have David Warner available once again, said former all-rounder Shane Watson, who believes the much-awaited return of the veteran opener after infamous ball-tampering incident will help his country win the marquee ODI event this summer, beginning May 30.
"He [Warner] is a world-class player. It is sad that someone like him didn’t play 12 months of international cricket but he is back and he has shown his class," Watson told reporters after Chennai Super Kings' match against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Tuesday (April 23).
"Australia will be very lucky to have him back into the team because he is a match-winner and a world-class batsman, one of the best in the world; he has the skills."
"In most IPLs, he scores a lot of runs. It is not the first time that he is scoring consistently. I don’t remember any tournament in the last four to five years where he hasn’t scored hell lot of runs," he added.
Watson, who made a timely return to form and delivered an outstanding performance on the night helping CSK defeat SRH by five wickets at Chepauk via a terrific innings of 96 runs off 53 balls, talked about how backing provided by skipper MS Dhoni and head coach Stephen Fleming eventually paid off huge dividends for him and his team.
"Stephen Fleming and M.S. Dhoni had faith and I knew I had a good innings in me," he said. "I lost a bit of rhythm in my batting due to different conditions of travel; playing in the PSL and Big Bash. I am grateful I could repay."
"The conditions here, compared to last year, has been a bit dry; especially coming from Big Bash where it is not dry. Even the pace as well. The wickets have been very dry."
"The ball had inconsistent bounce and pace on the wicket. I had to work on a couple of little things technically to get back into the groove. I got my rhythm back in the last game itself but I got out to Dale Steyn (clean bowled versus RCB). You also need a bit of luck."
Watson, once a very fine bowler, doesn't roll his arm at all these days, and he informed it is to remain fit and away from injuries at the age of 37.
"I stopped bowling because I kept getting injured," he stressed. "The calf-injury. If I keep pushing my body, the chances to stay fit to play the cricket that I have played in the last five months [may not come by]."
"It is a different ball-game not being an all-rounder. If I failed with the bat, I could contribute with the ball but this gives me a lot more chance to stay fit."
(Inputs from Sportstar)
