The Ashes 2013: Shane Watson works on lbw problems with Michael Clarke

Shane Watson is all ears to Michael Clarke

Australia batsman Shane Watson believes that the absence of Tim Bresnan and the advice from Michael Clarke will help him in improving his batting technique and overcome his lbw problems. He has been trapped twice by Tim Bresnan in the ongoing Ashes series, and once by Anderson and Stuart Broad apiece.

He toiled hard in nets, receiving advice from the batting coach Michael di Venuto and Michael Clarke. Clarke wants Watson to play his natural game and not to think too much about which way the delivery would go. He wants Watson to keep his mind blank and advised him to play the ball as late as possible.

“I’ve been having a chat to Michael over the last week especially about the way that I’m getting out, lbw at the moment,” Watson said after the Northampton match. “I’m getting a lot of different information about the ways that I can try to get that right. Michael just more so jogged my memory of a few things that I was doing a couple of years ago, more so with Greg Chappell, and making sure I was taking it back to the basics and having someone throw the ball slowly and making sure I was getting myself in the right position.”

“Michael’s advice has been excellent. He has been through a similar thing at some stage in his career. It’s good to be able to get his advice. He’s certainly one of the best players in the world and has been for the last couple of years. He has been through all those different challenges throughout his Test career, so it’s nice to be able to get his advice,” he added.

Despite the absence of Tim Bresnan, Watson knows that he needs to get the technique right as Anderson and Broad may have a go at him. “I let myself down in the second innings to get out that way again,” Watson said. “I know how they will attack me. Bresnan is the one who has given me the most trouble with that angle and unfortunately for him, but fortunately for me, he won’t be playing. He has bowled nicely and done a great job.”

Watson faced a lot of spin attack more than quicks in the practice match against England lions. He clobbered Simon Kerrigan all over the park, but was out to James Harris. “Mainly [my aim] was to try and face some quicks to work on a technical thing that I’ve been working on, getting my front leg out of the way more than anything, or getting my bat in the way,” Watson said. “It wasn’t too much of a practice against that today unfortunately. But being down here and being able to do a lot of work on that in the nets alone, I have got a lot out of these last few days anyway.”