"Goa Feels Like Home": Shane Watson On World Legends Pro T20 League

Former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson said staying match-ready in a legends tournament requires careful balance, even for players who have spent years at the top level. "It's a juggling act," Watson said. "You need to push your body to a point, but you don't want to push it to breaking point. The most important thing is skills and getting the skills up and going and being ready to go, and then being able to manage your body through the games as well. Once you stop playing and you're not using your body that way all the time, that's going to be one of the ultimate challenges, but something we'll be okay with."

Asked whether players experiment more in a legends league environment, Watson said most tend to rely on the methods they know best.

"You definitely try the tested skills that you have," he said. "For me personally, this is not the time to be able to bring out any switch hits or reverse sweeps. It was never really my thing, so I'm sticking to what I know. But you never know, there might be some new tricks from the old boys who have been practising."

Watson said tournaments such as the World Legends Pro T20 League have helped former players remain connected to the game after retirement.

"I feel very lucky to be a part of this," he said. "I know a number of years ago, when you retired from playing cricket, unless you coached or commentated, you were not involved in the game at all. Now, because of opportunities like World Legends Pro T20, we get to still show off our skills and stay connected with the game from a playing perspective, even though it's a bit more stripped back. But also be able to stay connected with our friends."

Speaking about his experience in Goa, Watson said the surroundings had added to the enjoyment.

"Waking up to the waves rolling in is something very special," he said. "I know we're very fortunate in Australia to have the beach culture, but to be able to wake up here this morning was great. I love my food, so I'm really excited to be able to go out and test the Goan cuisine."

Watson added that reconnecting with former teammates and opponents remained the most rewarding part of the experience. "Most importantly, it's just reconnecting with so many of my very good friends and opponents that I've played against," he said. "To be able to keep connected with them and continue to learn from them in the next phase of life is what I'm looking forward to the most."

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