In the latest of our occasional series, Catherine Hanley looks at Shane Watson, the Queenslander who moved to Tasmania and could be the next big thing in Australian cricket Age 20. Born 17 June 1981

Team and Role Right-hand batsman and right-arm medium-fast bowler for Tasmania.

Background A Queenslander by birth, Watson was reaching the end of a stint at the Australian Cricket Academy when Tasmanian coach Greg Shipperd asked him to relocate. He had no hesitation in accepting, realising that the chance for first-class cricket would come much sooner there than at Queensland. He lists Rod Marsh and Troy Cooley of the Academy as the biggest influences on his career, as well as Barry O'Connell, who coached him in his younger days.

Style A burly middle-order strokeplayer with good footwork and a sound technique. And a seam bowler of deceptive pace – estimated at around 135kph – who is able to harry batsmen and often picks up important wickets at the right time. Also an energetic fielder in the covers who likes to get involved.

Character Relaxed and gregarious off the field, but intense and combative on it. He claims that making his first-class debut against his home state was "the best thing which could have happened." Studious and determined, he manages to work towards an accountancy degree as well as develop his cricket career.

Career record Watson has made a blistering start to his career: in the Australian Under-19 side he top-scored in five of his six matches; and his first six first-class games yielded a century and three fifties at an average of 52, as well as 14 wickets at 26. He has had an almost talismanic effect on Tasmania. Following Watson's arrival at the end of 2000, they won their last three Pura Cup games of the season outright. And in his first six first-class games Watson was on the losing side only once.

Highlights Without a doubt, scoring his maiden first-class century against South Australia in March 2001. He had previously made a couple of fifties and been disappointed at getting out. On this occasion he resumed on 87 not out, but he overcame his nerves, recorded his century and Tasmania won the game to finish the season in third place, their highest for years.

Our view With a batting average roughly twice his bowling average, Watson is that rarest of beasts in modern Australian cricket: a genuine allrounder. He is at the age when promising youngsters are traditionally fast-tracked into the national side, though in recent years allrounders have tended to feature in the Australian one-day side without making much of an impact at Test level. He was recently chosen for the Australia A squad against New Zealand and South Africa.

His view "It's every kid's dream to play for Australia, and I'm working hard to achieve that ambition – that's one of the reasons I moved to Tasmania, and I hope to see myself in the national side in the next five years. I'd also love to spend a year playing county cricket in England to get more experience."

Expert view Plaudits have been showered on Watson from all sides. Greg Chappell has described his batting as "very exciting", and former Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox believes that an early call-up to the national side might well happen. If the ACB had had the foresight, they might even have added the then-teenaged Watson to the 2001 Ashes squad: "They've done it before when talented players have played very few first-class games," said Cox, "and Shane is as promising a young player as I've seen since Ricky Ponting."

Catherine Hanley is a university lecturer, a keen cricketer and a regular contributor to Wisden.com. She was born in Tasmania and now lives in Sheffield, England.

Chris Ryan on Shane Watson

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