Shane Watson is refusing to guarantee the upcoming Big Bash League season will be his career swansong, insisting he still feels like a young man.
At 37, the former Test opener is aware his time in the game is winding down and since his retirement from international cricket in 2016, he has eked out a living travelling the world as a Twenty20 gun for hire.
Since his final game for Australia in a T20 in India in March 2016, Watson has had stints in the Indian Premier League, Pakistani Super League, Caribbean Premier League and this year travelled to the United Arab Emirates for the T10 League.
He says as long as he's contributing - like he did during last year's BBL when he tonked 331 runs at an average of 36.77 - and he is unhindered by injury, he'll continue to play.
"My mind's open," Watson told AAP.
"To be able to play in some of these tournaments around the world, it's so much fun.
"Also I've experienced life outside of cricket. Cricket is what I know better than everything.
"While I can really contribute on the field from a skills point of view, as a senior player and I'm still loving it, my mind's open to continue to play.
"But if there comes a point where that real enjoyment is starting to wane and I'm not able to contribute like I know I can, then that'll definitely be the day."
Throughout his international career, Watson was constantly dogged by questions about his body's ability to hold up - back stress fractures, hamstring, calf, hip shoulder complaints all robbed him of game time.
But he said he hadn't got to the point where he was feeling like his body was breaking down and he couldn't continue playing.
"Physically it's always been a challenge anyway, so that hasn't changed," Watson said.
"From a mindset point of view, I'm on top of my game more than I ever have. From a technical point of view, I've been able to play, Twenty20 cricket for the last three years which means that's the only skillset I've been working on.
"In theory, cricket is a skill-based game, your skills should only get better the older you get.
"In theory you should get better until the physical component comes in and your skills start to go down."
Australian Associated Press
