OTD | BJ Watling was born in 1985

BJ Watling was born in Durban, South Africa, on July 9, 1985. He spent his initial years in the Rainbow Nation. He moved to New Zealand during his teenage years, and was a member of the Under-19 side which played the World Cup in Bangladesh in 2003-04. Watling subsequently joined Northern Districts.

After prouducing consistent performances in the one-day State Shield competition in 2008, amassing 509 runs at a remarkable average of 63.62, Watling became a part of New Zealand’s ODI squad for a series against Pakistan in the UAE. In 2010, the talismanic Brendon McCullum decided to keep wickets only in ODIs. This opened the door for Watling’s selection as the Kiwis’ long-term wicketkeeping option.

Watling played just eight Tests between 2009 and 2012, as a specialist batter, before settling into the role of New Zealand‘s full-time glovesman in the longest format of the game in 2013. The soon-to-be 40-year-old was technically very correct with his wicket keeping and fumbles were very rare. He took some spectacular catches during his career against the fast bowlers. Watling was also a very safe wicketkeeper to spinners in sub-continental conditions. This is because he understood the importance of staying low, with some balls not bouncing as high as is expected at home.

Watling played 75 Tests during his career and scored 3790 runs at an average of 37.52. He had a lot of patience, rarely throwing his wicket away by playing a rash shot. Watling scored 19 fifties and eight centuries in his Test career. His highest score of 205 came against England in Mount Maunganui in 2019.

Watling also featured in 28 ODIs and five T20Is, averaging 24.91 and 9.50, respectively. He couldn’t live up to his potential in the red-ball format. Watling retired from all forms of cricket after winning the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final against India. New Zealand won the summit clash by eight wickets.

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