Representing your country the ‘ultimate’: Watson

Former Australia allrounder Shane Watson says the biggest challenge facing Australian cricket following the extraordinary success of the KFC Big Bash League is to ensure the enthusiasm for the Twenty20 game among the younger generation results in a love of Test cricket.

And he says he can "never" forecast the day when players would prioritise playing domestic T20 cricket over the chance to play for Australia, even though he's loved escaping the "hierarchy and bureaucracy" of international cricket since he retired last year.

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Watson, a surprise winner of Australia's T20 International Player of the Year Award on Allan Border Medal night, retired from international cricket following the ICC World T20 last year and has continued his career playing in various domestic T20 leagues around the world.

And while he's been thrilled by the success of the BBL, which continues to break attendance and broadcast records around the country and is particularly popular with young families, Watson says harnessing that popularity and translating it into strong support for Test cricket will be crucial.

"Not in the short term, but I can see in the longer term when the next generation who are really just getting into watching T20 cricket now ... when they came into their late teens and early twenties, that will be the time where we really see how much of a pull T20 cricket has had," Watson said.

"And whether it's really changed the direction of what the priorities are for younger cricketers who are coming into domestic and first-class cricket.

"(The BBL) is an incredible product that Cricket Australia have put together. To see so many young families come along and stay there until the last ball is bowled and enjoy every moment of it, it's a great way to be able to engage the young cricketers.

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"The biggest challenge is really to be able to transition that love ... from the Big Bash to kids still wanting to play Test cricket.

"Because it is the ultimate challenge. That's where you want to challenge yourself against the best players in the world in Test cricket and also all the cricketers that have gone before you. Because that's really the best guide of where you're at as a cricketer throughout your career."

The success and popularity of the BBL and the prestige of playing international cricket have clashed in the past week with some of the biggest names in Big Bash cricket unavailable due to Australia's ODI series against Pakistan.

The absence of Melbourne Stars player Marcus Stoinis due to international duty for their crucial BBL clash against Sydney Sixers last Saturday was criticised by Stars teammate Kevin Pietersen, although the allrounder - who has not played during the ODI series - has been released for the Stars' BBL semi-final in Perth on Tuesday before he re-joins Australia's ODI squad on Wednesday.

Stoinis's Australia and Stars teammate Adam Zampa this week said international cricket would always hold sway over the domestic game and Watson said he couldn't envision the day when a player would opt to play in a BBL game instead of for Australia.

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Although the 35-year-old added he is relishing being away from the high-pressure environment of international cricket, and says the freedom and flexibility afforded those playing in domestic T20 leagues around the world is an exciting prospect for any player.

"I wouldn't think so, because the ultimate is representing your country and playing for your country," Watson said.

"I'd never think that would ever come into your calculations because it's an absolute honour to represent your country in anything. Whether that's cricket or sport or any other occupation.

"That will never ever change. I can't see that changing for a cricketer, knowing that in my experience playing for Australia is the ultimate and it's not going to change.

"For me, playing franchise cricket means I can still get a fix of playing the game I love in front of a lot of people at stadiums and I don't have the pressures of playing international cricket and everything that comes with that.

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"The hierarchy and the bureaucracy that comes into not just Australian cricket but international cricket, that's something I don't miss and sometimes all of that can engulf you quite a lot.

"But just in general, just the free spirit that T20 provides when you go out to play.

"It is a lot of fun because you really have to let go of everything. For me growing up, putting a price on your wicket to have to really let that go knowing that you have to take on the game."