Clarke said the decision was in the best interest for Australia/
Watson had challenged Arthur over inconsistencies with his handling of disciplinary matters.
Perhaps No 3 is the spot for Watson as he has scored two tons there.
Reacting to sacked Australian coach Mickey Arthur's explosive claims, legendary spinner Shane Warne said on Tuesday that the South African's comments sounded like "sour grapes" and that he should be "grateful" for being given a chance to coach the Aussies.
Sacked coach Mickey Arthur has hired a legal firm and is seeking compensation after Cricket Australia tore up his contract last month, a report said on Saturday.
Mickey Arthur, the former Australian coach is seeking a legal remedy after he was sacked by Cricket Australia (CA) in the lead-up to the Ashes. Arthur was given the boot as a result of Australia’s recent poor performances with issues of discipline also cropping up. Darren Lehmann was appointed coach immediately after Arthur’s dismissal.
Former Australian vice-captain Shane Watson has said that he believed that his suspension from the Mohali Test in March, along with three other players, has created a ''dangerous precedent'' for dealing with discipline breaches.
The firing of Mickey Arthur was hailed on Tuesday as the wakeup call Australia so badly needed to fight for the Ashes against England.
Darren Lehmann was on Monday hailed as the "obvious choice" after replacing the sacked Mickey Arthur as Australia head coach just 16 days before the first Ashes Test in England following several embarrassing on and off-field incidents involving the team.
Former Australian captain Mark Taylor feels there’s nothing wrong with Australia’s leadership, but the squad needs to regroup and rediscover the 'team' feeling. Taylor added that the retirement of senior players like Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting has affected the overall team atmosphere.