Watson to play only if fit to bowl: Clarke

Captain Michael Clarke has indicated that Shane Watson will not return to the Australia side as a specialist batsman for the second Test against South Africa at St George's Park on Thursday.

All-rounder Watson missed Australia's 281-run victory in the first Test with a calf problem, and the tourists want him to be fit enough to bowl in Port Elizabeth. "The information I have from the selectors is that if (Watson's) not bowling, he'll be unavailable for selection," Clarke told reporters on Wednesday.

"You'll probably have to ask (coach) Darren Lehmann and the other selectors, (but) from the information I have they'll only re-select him if he's available to bowl. As soon as Watto is fit and available I know he'll want to be back out on the park. I don't know if you guys watched him in the nets but he's creaming them at the moment." 

Watson's replacement at number three in the first Test, Alex Doolan, fell 11 runs short of a century on debut in the second innings.