Hard to argue with a lot of these comments from Lawson. I still can't believe Watson is picked as a test opener, his first class record as an opener is horrendous, and he has massive problems with the straight ball, being out a huge percentage bowled or LBW
Geoff Lawson says Australia selectors have messed up opener Phillip Hughes and believes the Test side is being picked on personality, not performance.
Lawson claims Hughes, 20, has been left "totally confused" after being dumped from the Test arena despite averaging 52.44.
The Blues left hander was bombarded by short balls on the Ashes tour, leading to his axing after just two Tests.
Lawson says the treatment from selectors has stripped Hughes of his confidence and left him a shadow of the player who blasted tons in each innings of a Test against South Africa in March.
"Phil Hughes is totally confused," the former Australia paceman said. "Can someone explain to me why Phil was dropped in the first place?
"He's been dropped after three innings (in the Ashes series) after bashing the South African attack all over the place ... my goodness.
"What is he to think after being dropped so early? Every senior person I talk to in Australian cricket asks me the same question - what are the selectors doing?
"He's a different player now, you can't even consider him in the same light to the player we saw in South Africa.
"He's become really defensive. That's not how you make 150."
After scoring 10 centuries in his first 24 first-class matches, Hughes has had an indifferent start to the summer. He has scored 123 runs in the Sheffield Shield for NSW at 41, with a top score of 79. In the domestic one-day arena, Hughes has scored 72 not out, 30 and 12.
Lawson fears Hughes is worse off for tinkering with the unusual, instinctive style that won him a baggy green cap.
"He's changed his technique. From what I saw in the recent Shield game, he's a different player. He's gone three steps backwards," Lawson said.
"Phil needs to clear his head, understand where he's at and go back to the people he trusts and play his natural game, because he's well out of form at the moment.
"Phil still has so much time to get back. But at the moment he's fallen off the cliff and I don't know what the selectors are saying to him. Here's a kid who used to smash good-length balls on off stump through point for six.
"Now he's getting side on to balls outside off stump and playing them on. I couldn't imagine a bigger change of technical approach to the game.
"He got bounced a few times against England A and they drop him. Steve Waugh had problems against the short ball, but he still worked out a way to make runs."
Lawson also claimed prolific Victoria opener Chris Rogers is being overlooked because he may not be popular with Australia's stars.
Rogers has scored centuries in his past six first-class matches and plundered 1195 runs at 74.69 last summer. But the 32-year-old has not been seen at Test level since his one and only Test against India nearly two years ago.
"The team is picked on personalities. If you don't fit the personality, then you won't make the team - that's a serious concern," Lawson said.
"When Rogers played his one Test, he was treated like a leper. That's why they've lost three of their past five series; they aren't picking the best players.
"The whispers are around that the Australian team is picked around who the selectors and the captain like.
"It seems to me they are picking personalities rather than people who can play the game."
Geoff Lawson says Australia selectors have messed up opener Phillip Hughes and believes the Test side is being picked on personality, not performance.
Lawson claims Hughes, 20, has been left "totally confused" after being dumped from the Test arena despite averaging 52.44.
The Blues left hander was bombarded by short balls on the Ashes tour, leading to his axing after just two Tests.
Lawson says the treatment from selectors has stripped Hughes of his confidence and left him a shadow of the player who blasted tons in each innings of a Test against South Africa in March.
"Phil Hughes is totally confused," the former Australia paceman said. "Can someone explain to me why Phil was dropped in the first place?
"He's been dropped after three innings (in the Ashes series) after bashing the South African attack all over the place ... my goodness.
"What is he to think after being dropped so early? Every senior person I talk to in Australian cricket asks me the same question - what are the selectors doing?
"He's a different player now, you can't even consider him in the same light to the player we saw in South Africa.
"He's become really defensive. That's not how you make 150."
After scoring 10 centuries in his first 24 first-class matches, Hughes has had an indifferent start to the summer. He has scored 123 runs in the Sheffield Shield for NSW at 41, with a top score of 79. In the domestic one-day arena, Hughes has scored 72 not out, 30 and 12.
Lawson fears Hughes is worse off for tinkering with the unusual, instinctive style that won him a baggy green cap.
"He's changed his technique. From what I saw in the recent Shield game, he's a different player. He's gone three steps backwards," Lawson said.
"Phil needs to clear his head, understand where he's at and go back to the people he trusts and play his natural game, because he's well out of form at the moment.
"Phil still has so much time to get back. But at the moment he's fallen off the cliff and I don't know what the selectors are saying to him. Here's a kid who used to smash good-length balls on off stump through point for six.
"Now he's getting side on to balls outside off stump and playing them on. I couldn't imagine a bigger change of technical approach to the game.
"He got bounced a few times against England A and they drop him. Steve Waugh had problems against the short ball, but he still worked out a way to make runs."
Lawson also claimed prolific Victoria opener Chris Rogers is being overlooked because he may not be popular with Australia's stars.
Rogers has scored centuries in his past six first-class matches and plundered 1195 runs at 74.69 last summer. But the 32-year-old has not been seen at Test level since his one and only Test against India nearly two years ago.
"The team is picked on personalities. If you don't fit the personality, then you won't make the team - that's a serious concern," Lawson said.
"When Rogers played his one Test, he was treated like a leper. That's why they've lost three of their past five series; they aren't picking the best players.
"The whispers are around that the Australian team is picked around who the selectors and the captain like.
"It seems to me they are picking personalities rather than people who can play the game."