Watson criticises squad-trimming practice

Shane Watson, who was dropped for the second Test against New Zealand, has said Cricket Australia's "horses for courses" approach to selection will only create insecurity and undermine players' confidence.

Australia, seemingly in an effort to adopt a more flexible approach to selection, released Watson from their squad for Adelaide after they similarly dropped Jason Krejza in Brisbane. Ricky Ponting had said it was a way to discover which players could be depended on in specific conditions, but Watson said the best players should be able to adapt anywhere.

"I do understand what they are saying, but, for me, if I'm a good enough player then I can adapt to whatever conditions are there," Watson told AAP. "In India, it was the first time I'd played a Test series over there and by the end I felt like I was able to adapt, especially with the ball, and really improve.

"That's how you get confidence and improve as a cricketer. So from my point of view, I'd prefer to play in all conditions because that's the only way I will learn and improve."

Watson, 27, said players performed better when confident of their environment. He even gave the example of the first Test, when he realised he would be dropped for the Adelaide Test, where a specialist spinner would be preferred.

"The perfect example of that is in the [Gabba] Test match in the second innings when I was bowling," he said. "They are the things going through your mind because of the harsh reality of what was there. That is part and parcel of a performance-based game."

On Australia's recent tour of India, Watson scored 170 runs and took 10 wickets in his first full series with the Test side. That performance drew praise from Ponting and Steve Waugh.

Watson also responded to speculation that Stuart Clark would be dropped in Adelaide. "Stuart Clark bowled absolutely beautifully up at the Gabba, especially in the second innings," he said. "There's no reason why he's not going to do that in Adelaide as well. I don't see there's any reason to change because Stuart Clark has bowled at the SCG his whole career, and that's a flat wicket and he's performed consistently well."