'It's crunch time for me': Watson

Shane Watson admits it is crunch time for him to score some runs, but feels his preparation and technique have him well-positioned to do exactly that.

Watson remains Australia's premier allrounder and will bat at first drop in Saturday's blockbuster World Cup Pool A clash with unbeaten New Zealand in Auckland.

However, with Mitch Marsh firing and James Faulkner soon to be passed fit, Watson's hold on that title could soon come into question.

And with that, his place in the XI.

"It's crunch time for me to score runs in general," Watson said on Wednesday, when asked if he needed a decent score to keep his place in the side.

"It's important for me to score runs anytime. It's up to the selectors in the end, whether they see fit for me to play.

"But I'm doing everything I possibly can.

"I've been in and around a number of World Cup campaigns. I know what to expect and I know it doesn't always go exactly to plan as well."

It's not as if Watson is enduring an extended form slump in one-day cricket, the format he has excelled at the most since debuting in 2002.

Prior to the 33-year-old's golden duck in the World Cup opener against England, he had logged ODI scores of 41, 16 and 82.

However, sandwiched between those knocks is an indifferent Test series against India and a hamstring niggle which caused him to miss the majority of the recent Carlton Mid ODI tri-series.

Watson denied feeling any additional selection pressure leading up to the side's clash with the World Cup co-hosts.

"I just want to score runs and I want to perform. That's really what it is," Watson said.

"That's what I'm working extremely hard on.

"I do feel it's coming along well, I just haven't scored runs.

"I actually feel like I'm hitting the ball well. I just need to give myself a chance to get in some innings and get things rolling."

Watson suggested he had been fine-tuning his batting technique over summer, as is always the case.

"It's a constant thing ... I'm always looking at how to get better and making adjustments, it's a constant thing every day to try and get better," he said.