Watson reflects on unwanted record

Former Test batsman Shane Watson has given a revealing insight into the mental and technical frustrations he faced through a career that saw him dismissed lbw more than any other Australian in Ashes history.

Watson, who played his final match for Australia last March in the ICC World T20, is currently plying his trade with Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League, from where he answered fans' questions online.

Inevitably, the lbw issue – he was trapped in front 14 times in Ashes Tests – and Watson's bad run with referrals were raised, and the 35-year-old was candid in his response.

"Growing up the umpire's decision is always final so you don't have to worry about whether you're out or not," he said.

"I made a number of bad reviews, which in the end I just gave up on and realised the same thing as always – if the umpire gives you out, you're out.

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"As soon as the reviews come in (in 2009) then you have to change your whole understanding of exactly whether it's out and the rules that go with the umpire's call.

"It took me a while to realise I hadn't worked that out at all."

Watson's lbw struggled were most publicly borne out in the pressure-cooker of the Ashes, and by the end of the 2013 series, he had reviewed four times after being given out lbw, without a single reversal.

In the first two Tests, at Trent Bridge and Lord's, Watson was given out lbw three times, with the allrounder unsuccessfully challenging twice.

A third lbw review came in the fourth Test in Durham, but at that point Watson was the last recognised batsman at the crease and the referral was worth the risk as Australia collapsed spectacularly in the final session of day four to surrender the series.

"Within a couple of Test matches I learnt the hard way," Watson told cricket.com.au last year. "There's no doubt in that Ashes series in 2013 I didn't get (the referrals) right.

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"Towards the back end of the Ashes I was like, 'Look, if I'm given out I'm just walking'.

"For one, the backlash that I got (was immense), and I copped it all the way, because at the back-end of my career the crowd and everyone just gave it to me for referrals."

Two years later, when Australia returned for what would be the final Test series of Watson, Michael Clarke and Chris Rogers, the issue was again front and centre.

Watson played only the first Test of that 2015 series, was dismissed lbw twice and reviewed unsuccessfully each time (the second as the last recognised batsman again). 

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"Different people have different weaknesses and mine was getting out lbw," he said. "I used to work incredibly hard technically on it all the time.

"The one thing I probably didn't really work on is the mental aspect of exactly what was setting me to expose myself getting out that way regularly.

"I never really fully overcame (the issue) in the end; the last time I played Test cricket I got out lbw both times."