The vice-captain of Australia’s cricket team, Shane Watson, has stepped down from his post. Not from the team, just the post.<\/p>\n
It’s good he did it, because that saves the selectors one job, of sacking him as vice-captain. Watson saw it coming and didn’t want to be humiliated.<\/p>\n
But he may earn the ultimate humiliation anyway – he may not be in the team at all, the team that goes to England in June to defend the Ashes.
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\nWatson has failed to deliver on many occasions and in India, as Australia lost a four-Test series 4-0, he did little, apart from walking out when he was dropped from the third Test for not completing an assignment given by the coach.<\/p>\n
He returned and had to captain the team in the fourth Test as Michael Clarke, the captain, was suffering with a bad back.<\/p>\n
Australia again lost, this time within four days (again), and Watson had little role to play in what little good Australia did.<\/p>\n
Watson says he felt no pressure to give up the job. Sure, and I am the owner of the Eiffel Tower.<\/p>\n
There is not much in the pipeline after Clarke and thus there is no crowd of people putting up their hands for the job. Someone will have to be groomed but the cupboard is pretty much bare.<\/p>\n
Simply put, only Clarke, Peter Siddle and James Pattinson (when he is fit), can be sure of their places in the team. But Australia has never had a bowler as captain – not so far, anyway.
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