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LAHORE, Mar 03 (APP):Former Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has said that lifting the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 and 2009 editions is the high watermark of his career and the tournament left lasting imprints on his game.
Reminiscing on his journey as a cricketer and coach with the ICC Media Zone on Monday, Watson credits Champions Trophy as the stage which helped him achieve great deal of success as far as personal and team milestones were concerned, adding that Champions Trophy 2002 was his first tournament in the baggy green. Shane Watson was player of the match (POTM) for Australia in both the Champions Trophy finals 2006 in India and South Africa 2009 while his contribution in the 2009 semi-final was also excellent. He shared the journey to glory in the Champions Trophy 2006 and 2009 in detail and described this tournament was close to his heart. As the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 Pakistan enters the last week of action, he believes the love for cricket echoes throughout Pakistan and he witnessed people’s immense passion for cricket for the past two weeks though their country did not fare well this year. “I could not represent my country in Pakistan but was lucky to play franchise cricket in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) in the year 2019 and these were most memorable weeks of my life with Quetta Gladiators,” Shane Watson added. Watson said that the group stages provided some excellent cricket but it’s the knock-out matches that really count, and this week is going to be brilliant, adding that Pakistan will be ready for the off the filed to watch some spectacular cricketing action in the Champions Trophy. “I was always a confident person, all athletes are, but it was in 2006 that I really knew I had the skill to perform for my country and help them win and that is a different confidence, it is a different feeling,” he reminisced. “When I started, I was just trying to contribute here and there because the team was so strong. We had Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, the list just goes on. Most of those guys were still there in 2006 and delivering in that team, opening the batting with Adam Gilchrist and scoring an unbeaten 57 in the final, just proved to me I belonged,” Watson said, adding, “It was the start of me being at my best as a fast-bowling all-rounder and to have that opportunity to bat with Adam and bowl the overs that I did was immense.” Recalling the presence of the greats in Australian set-up in 2006, he said, “I was brought into an all-time great team at the absolute peak of their powers and a lot of them were some of the best players that have ever played the game, so I was intimidated by their skill. I knew I had a lot of work to do before I could get my skills to a point where I felt I could come close to matching them and being where my team needed me, not just contribute a little bit. 2006 was that year”. Recalling the Champions Trophy 2009 as a standout tournament for him, he shared he didn’t get off to a good start, and neither did the team. The team scraped to a couple of wins but things just clicked for us in that semi-final against England. They set us 258 to win and Ricky and I just knocked them off. I scored 136 not out and it was one of my favorite innings – not just because of how I did but also the occasion and batting with one of my heroes growing up. Ricky was a great leader and he backed me all the way from the age of 19,” he shared. “In the final, we played New Zealand and I had this magical moment, where I hit a six to complete my century and also win the tournament. They are the moments you dream of. He said that he had a couple of really nice trophies from those days but his personal favorite was the watch he got for being man-of-the-match in the final,” adding “it is one of the most special things I have in my house. It brings back so many special memories. I have a painting of the 2015 World Cup celebrations, of me and Steve Smith in the middle when we hit the winning runs, but that watch is amazing – they are probably one of my two most prized possessions.” One of the greatest white-ball all-rounders for Australia said, “The last two weeks have reminded us how special this tournament is and I hope that, in the years to come, those who have featured in it look back on it as fondly as I do now.”