Shane Robert Watson (born 17 June 1981) is an Australian cricket coach, commentator and former cricketer who represented and occasionally captained the Australian national cricket team between 2002 and 2016. An all-rounder, he batted right-handed and bowled right-arm fast-medium.
| Full name | Shane Robert Watson |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 June 1981 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Role | All-rounder (right-handed batsman, right-arm fast-medium bowler) |
| International career | 2002–2016 |
| National team | Australia |
| Retirement from all cricket | 2020 |
| Current roles | Cricket coach and commentator |
Watson began his international career during the Australian team's golden era in the early 2000s and was the last player from that era to retire from international cricket. Over the course of his career he established himself as one of the leading all-rounders in the limited-overs game.
Watson was part of Australia's winning squads at the Cricket World Cup on two occasions, in 2007 and 2015. He was also a member of the Australian sides that won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009. He was adjudged Player of the Match in both Champions Trophy finals, scoring the winning run in the 2006 final and hitting the winning six in the 2009 final.
In Twenty20 Internationals, Watson was ranked as the world's No. 1 all-rounder for a total of 150 weeks. This included an all-time record of 120 consecutive weeks at the top of the rankings, from 13 October 2011 to 30 January 2014.
Watson played Twenty20 cricket in several leagues around the world, most prominently in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was named Player of the Tournament in the IPL twice, in 2008 and 2013, and was part of title-winning sides in 2008 and 2018. He continued to play in T20 leagues after retiring from international cricket in 2016, before retiring from all forms of cricket in 2020.
Watson is regarded as one of the prominent all-rounders of his generation, with sustained dominance in the T20I rankings and a record of contributing to multiple ICC trophy wins for Australia. His record of 120 consecutive weeks as the world's No. 1 T20I all-rounder remains a benchmark in the format.