Australia's Flintoff?
One allrounder has so far dominated the build-up to the Ashes with the regular medical updates on Andrew Flintoff's ankle and the effect of handing him the England captaincy
The thinking behind picking Watson (Test batting average 20.25, bowling average 61.50) would be in the hope of giving the Australia team the balance that Andrew Flintoff provides for England. For two decades the English have striven to emulate the Australians; now the position may be about to be reversed.
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo