Veteran allrounder reflects on the greatest friends and foes he encountered in more than a decade at the top
Best I've played with or against: Watson
Shane Watson has revealed a trio of Australian legends and a pair for fierce fast-bowling rivals as some of the best players he has played with and against.
Watson, who played 307 matches across all formats in 13 years at the top level, entered international cricket in 2002 in an Australian team full of current and future Hall of Famers.
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But three players in particular – undoubtedly three of Australia's greatest to don the Baggy Green – stand out in particular to Watson.
"No doubt Ricky Ponting," Watson told cricket.com.au when asked who were the best players he played with.
"When he was at his peak he was incredible.
"And everything he did in and around the team as captain was very good.
"Shane Warne, with the incredible skill that he had.
"His amazing belief in his skill and how he could turn a game consistently.
"And what a great leader he was as well. I had him at Rajasthan for four years and he was incredible.
"Glenn McGrath was phenomenal with what he was able to achieve.
"What he was able to do as a fast bowler was … I'd be surprised if anyone gets near his record.
"With all the cricket that's played, and Twenty20 cricket, to play more than 100 Test and take 560-odd wickets I'd be surprised if anyone goes near that.
"There are so many others – Adam Gilchrist – but those are the three that stand out the most."
When recalling the greats he's played against, Watson looked no further than two modern batting champions, and current Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.
"Seeing Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers just over the last little while, the things they do batting-wise I just incredible," Watson said.
"The control Virat has is as good as I've seen.
"And the things that AB de Villiers consistently does to bowlers are hard to believe someone can actually do that.
"The back foot cut shots over cover for six, how he can hit when he's on – which is regularly – wherever he wants is just incredible."
When Watson was asked about the best bowlers he faced in his career, a Proteas pace ace immediately came to mind.
"The one that consistently comes back is Dale Steyn, especially in Test cricket," he said.
"Just how relentless he is with the new ball, he doesn't really give you anything to hit, he swings the ball very late.
"He's got an incredible engine as well. His ability to keep coming back, his energy in his last spell when the ball starts doing something is pretty amazing.
"You can see why he's got the record that he does."
And unsurprisingly, the bowler who dismissed him the most times (8) in Test cricket, and an Ashes nemesis to boot, ranked high on the allrounder's list of toughest bowlers he faced.
"Stuart Broad I always found very challenging," Watson said. "He's always very accurate, always at my stumps consistently.
"In Ashes Tests, especially in England, he ripped the heart out of us.
"I can think of three times where the game was in the balance and he ripped the heart out of us; one in Durham (in 2013), I wasn't playing, but Trent Bridge last year, and then at The Oval, my first Ashes series in 2009.
"He got four or five quick wickets and ripped the hearts out of us.
"He just had that ability and the teams I was in couldn’t stop the momentum."