Windies to face Watson’s broad bat again

BRISBANE, Australia,  CMC – Red hot opener Shane Watson will make a return to the Australia side for the fourth One-Day International against West Indies, following an injury to Shaun Marsh.

The in-form Watson was rested for the rained out ODI in Sydney on Friday and was also scheduled to miss the fourth match here today at the Gabba.

Marsh, however, was forced to pull out of Friday’s game just minutes before the start with back spasms, and has also been ruled out of the fourth ODI.

“Due to Shaun Marsh’s injury, the [selection panel] has elected to bring Shane Watson back into the squad …,” chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said.

“It was decided that with potential opening batsman Brad Haddin currently having his workload managed, the best course of action for the balance of the squad was to bring Shane back one game early.”

The 28-year-old Watson has been enjoying a purple patch of form following his recall to the national side last year.

He has taken to the Windies bowling with relish, reeling off attractive half-centuries in the two opening ODIs of the series to steer Australia to victories in Melbourne and Adelaide respectively.

In the three-Test series late last year, he managed 263 runs from five innings while averaging over 50 and then carried his superb form into the Pakistan Test series, piling up 346 runs at an average of 69.