ICC World Twenty20: Injured Australia all-rounder Shane Watson confident of fitness

New Delhi: Injured Australian all-rounder Shane Watson believes he will be fit in time for the ICC World T20 starting March 8.

An abdominal strain, while bowling for his side Islamabad United, forced Watto to pull out of the Pakistan Super League last week.

The 34-year-old then flew home to Sydney for scans and an assessment.

“It’s going to take me a couple of weeks to get back into batting and bowling," Watson told The Australian newspaper.

"We got it before it did too much damage.

“I’m very confident I’ll be right for the World Cup. That’s still three or four weeks away ... It’s not like a side strain or anything like that. If everything goes to plan, I’ll be right.”

Watson is one of the most highly rated T20 cricketers in the world. This was also evident at the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction where he the most expensive buy.

Watson has had a rocky ride of late in national colors. He retired from Test cricket last year and has lost his place in the ODI side.

However, he found form at the right time to be picked for the home T20 series against India and blasted a century in defeat when leading the side in place of injured former skipper Aaron Finch during the third and final match in Sydney.

He was subsequently picked in Steve Smith`s squad for the World T20 and brings vital experience of conditions in the subcontinent as an enthusiastic IPL veteran.

“The T20 selection felt like the added bonus on top of what had happened for the previous six weeks,” said Watson.

Watson`s fitness has been under the microscope throughout his 14-year international career, with a succession of soft tissue injuries robbing him of time in the middle in recent seasons.

(With Agency inputs)