In Shane Watson, Australia has a talented all-rounder in their midst with the hunger to re-ignite Australia’s one-day squad after he missed the majority of the Australian summer with one hamstring problem after another.
“It says a lot that I was able to get back so quickly this time after a hamstring strain,” he said. “My inner-core strength used to be really poor, but I’ve been working on getting that strong. I’m doing a lot of Pilates puh-lah-teez. I’m doing less gym work and more running to get my body used to what it needs to do.”
The persistent hamstring injury destroyed his Ashes dreams and forced him to wait until the end of the summer to seal his World Cup berth. This time a calf problem interrupted his tournament, but he still managed to make an impressive mark with his batting and fielding - the run-out of AB de Villiers in St Kitts was outstanding. In six innings spent mostly in the lower order, he was dismissed only once and showed power and innovation in clouting 145 runs at a strike-rate of 170.
Watson, 26, said “The injuries definitely gotten me down,” he said. “I’m feeling good now and I’m excited about what might be coming up, not worried about what’s happened before.” Because of his injury Shane Watson will be used only as a batsman for Queensland in the 2008 Pura Cup match. Real men do Pilates
written by PalmBeach
