To conquer international cricket, Shane Watson first had to beat his fragile body. Despite boasting an athletic figure made for photo shoots, Watson's frame was so brittle it threatened to break him. He refused to give up. Not through recurrences of back stress fractures, hamstring strains, calf problems, hip complaints, a dislocated shoulder or a suspected heart attack that turned out to be food poisoning. He changed his training, preferring pilates to weights, gave up alcohol, but not his dream. It finally paid off in 2009, when he was chosen as a Test opener in the middle of the Ashes series. Many batsmen would have been uncomfortable with the promotion from the middle order, especially after failing when given the job with Queensland, but Watson had become used to re-inventing himself. With a history of setbacks, it was not a surprise that his first Test century became such a drama, but after two scores in the 90s and an 89, he finally brought it up at the MCG against Pakistan - thanks to a single from a dropped catch. He had earned some luck. A productive few years as a Test opener led to back-to-back Allan Border Medals but by 2011-12, injury had again interceded. He returned to the Test team in 2012 but spent the rest of his career floating up and down the order in search of a place to call his own.

In 2013, Watson became Australia's 44th Test captain when he led the team to a three-day loss in Delhi in place of the injured Michael Clarke. It completed a hectic couple of weeks for Watson, who had been suspended from the previous Test in the homework saga and had also flown home for the birth of his child. He gave up the vice-captaincy after that tour and played for another two years before being dropped during the 2015 Ashes, after which he announced his retirement from Tests. As a bowler, Watson developed into one of Australia's best exponents of reverse swing, and if he was not claiming wickets himself he was often building pressure at one end. At times his bowling saved his place in the Test team, for four centuries from 59 Tests and an average of 35.19 was a little less than he desired as a batsman. At the crease he is an aggressive brute with a broad chest, a right-handed disciple of Matthew Hayden, and someone who often doesn't need to follow-through to gain a boundary. However, his drives and pulls are delivered in a much smoother style. Always a dangerous striker in the shorter formats, Watson clubbed Bangladesh for 185 in a 50-over contest in April 2011, the highest score ever by an Australian batsman in ODI cricket. The Player of the Tournament at the 2012 World T20, Watson retired from all international cricket at the end of the 2016 tournament.
ESPNcricinfo staff

• March 15, 2001
  The journey begins
  • After leaving his home state of Queensland, Watson joins Tasmania to fast-track his first-class entry. Is rewarded with a century in his fifth game, with 105 against South Australia.
    
• March 24, 2002
  One-day entrance
  • A year later he is picked for Australia's one-day outfit, scoring 2 on debut and going wicketless in South Africa. Is talent-spotted with the 2003 World Cup in mind, but ultimately misses out with stress fractures of the back. The same injury riddled his teenage years and flares again late in 2008. "He has all the attributes," notes Alan Davidson that year. "A fine physical specimen, good athlete; just give him time."
    
• 2003-04 season
  Runs pile up
  • Scores four hundreds from No. 4 for Tasmania, and smashes an unbeaten 300 in a club game for Lindisfarne. Then, irked by opposition attempts to thwart him reaching his triple, storms to 7 for 29 with the ball.
    
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• January 2-5, 2005
  Test welcome
  • Picked for his first Test, he lands face-down after his opening delivery before finding his feet with Younis Khan's wicket. Collects a nervous 31 batting at No.7.
    
• November 4, 2005
  Dislocated dream
  • Suffers a partial dislocation of his shoulder when fielding just minutes after his second Test wicket against West Indies. Leaves the Gabba in severe pain and has to watch Andrew Symonds fill in during his rehabilitation.
    
• March 24-28, 2006
  Domestic bliss ... almost
  • After being picked for the one-day tour of South Africa, he misses a return to the Test squad. A fine 201 for Queensland in the Pura Cup final demolition of Victoria eases one pain and creates another when he hurts his leg.
    
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• November 2006
  Injuries return
  • Locked into Australia's one-day team as an opener and lined up as the Test allrounder, he is floored again with a hamstring injury and misses the home Ashes series. Michael Clarke gets his spot and stars.
    
• March-April 2007
  World Cup drama
  • Seals his place for the 2007 World Cup but is restricted by a calf problem this time. Still manages to clout 145 runs at a strike-rate of 170. He is dismissed only once in the tournament and his top score of 65 comes off 32 balls against New Zealand.
    
• April-July 2008
  Twenty20 star
  • The bargain of the first Indian Premier League, Watson, who sold for US$125,000, is the Player of the Tournament with 472 runs and 17 wickets. The haul helps prove to the national selectors he has recovered from yet another hamstring strain.
    
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• June 29, 2008
  Triple-figure breakthrough
  • Instead of holidaying in the Maldives, he jets to the West Indies as Matthew Hayden's replacement. He appears in all five one-day matches, scoring his first international century and collecting at least a wicket per game.
    
• October-November 2008
  Testing times
  • Receives praise for his performances in India after he scored 170 runs, including 78 in Mohali, and takes 10 wickets in his first full Test series. Plays a home game in Brisbane before being dropped. During his time with the squad another back stress fracture forms.
    
• July-August 2009
  Ashes opening
  • Having proved his fitness as a specialist batsman in ODIs against Pakistan, he is picked for the Ashes tour. Vacancies appear unlikely until he is catapulted into the team as an opener for the third Test and registers half-centuries in his first three innings.
    
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• October 5, 2009
  Champions century
  • Opens in the final of the Champions Trophy with an unbeaten 105 to set up Australia's six-wicket win over New Zealand. Finishes the tournament with back-to-back hundreds.
    
• December 29, 2009
  Melbourne milestone
  • After a series of near-misses, he finally brings up his first Test century at the MCG thanks to a dropped catch on 99. By the end of the season he is one of Australia's most important players.
    
• July, 2010
  A hit with the ball
  • After taking 5 for 40 in the first innings against Pakistan to get a spot on the honour boards at Lord's, Watson followed with career-best figures of 6 for 33 in the next game in Leeds.
    
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• January 16, 2011
  Master of the chase
  • Putting behind the disappointment of losing the Ashes, Watson spanks an unbeaten 161 off only 150 balls in the first ODI against England, as Australia chase down a stiff target of 295. At the time, it's the fourth-highest ODI score in a run-chase.
    
• April 11, 2011
  It's raining sixes
  • Coming off another disappointment - a quarter-final exit at the World Cup - Watson bludgeons Bangladesh's bowlers to the tune of 15 sixes, a record in an ODI innings, and goes on to make a stunning 185 not out off a mere 96 balls as Australia reach their target of 230 with 24 overs to spare. It becomes the highest second-innings score in ODIs, and the fastest 150-plus innings at the time.
    
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