SHANE Watson has embarked on a new fitness regime aimed at condemning his injuries to history and changing his body shape to keep him playing cricket longer.
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Spurred on by finally stringing some games together to play a part in Australia’s World Cup success this year, Watson is now aiming at becoming a permanent member of the national side.
To do that, he will have to remain injury-free for 20 months starting September, when Australia begins a long period of constant cricket with the Twenty20 world championship in South Africa.
Watson is confident he can remain injury-free by focusing on turning his muscular physique into a leaner build, to reduce the stress of bowling on his back, hamstrings and calves.
Watson, 26, will also put extra emphasis on resting between training and playing, but is adamant he has more to provide on the international stage after three Tests and 65 one-dayers in five years.
“The big goal for me is to get through 18 months,” he said.
“What I do being an all-rounder definitely puts my body under a fair bit more pressure.
“But to be able to have a good crack at (cementing a place) would be awesome for me.”
Chats with Glenn McGrath, once the iron man of Australian cricket, have convinced Watson that constant cricket was the thing his injury-prone body needed.
“The time I’ve felt my best is when I’ve been able to build momentum physically and cricket-wise as well,” he said.
“That would be the perfect thing for me, to get some cricket under my belt.
“That’s how it’s always worked for the other bowlers.”
With Shaun Tait sidelined after elbow surgery yesterday and Brett Lee yet to return from the ankle injury which scuttled his World Cup plans, managing player fitness will be a constant issue confronting the Australian team management.
New coach Tim Nielsen expects team management — given the scheduling of two tours of Pakistan, two of India and one of the West Indies, and more than 20 Tests all before the end of next year — to be one of his greatest challenges.
Fitness and coaching staff will work with sports science experts to ensure players’ workloads are carefully monitored, although it will be the selectors’ decision to rest players.
“You play at the highest level all the time ... so the body and the mind is under pressure every time you set out,” Nielsen said.
“So it is a massive job for us as the support staff to ensure the players are getting the rest they need and the preparation they need to perform well.”
Meanwhile, former Victorian and NSW batsman Matthew Mott has been promoted to coach the NSW cricket team after the departure of Trevor Bayliss.
