Aussie Watson says will retire after World T20

Mohali: Veteran Australian all-rounder Shane Watson announced Thursday that he would retire from international cricket at the end of the ongoing World Twenty20 tournament in India.

Watson, 34, shared his decision to call it quits with teammates in Mohali, where Australia take on Pakistan in a World T20 group match on Friday, Cricket Australia said.

"It's been over the last week that it's really become clear that now really is the right time to retire from all international cricket," Watson said in a statement issued by the national cricket body.

Watson had retired from Test cricket at the end of last year's Ashes tour of England and has not played one-day internationals since September last year.

An opening batsman and a reliable pacer, Watson scored 5,757 runs from 190 ODIs.

He also took 168 ODI wickets and holds the Australian record for the highest ODI score, an unbeaten 185 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011.

Always a dangerous player in the shortest format, he has belted out 1,400 runs from 56 T20 internationals so far while taking 46 wickets.

Watson was the last surviving player of the Australian golden era, having played along the likes of Glenn McGrath, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

"I really enjoyed my time being back in the Australian squad but, it is quite different," Watson, a father of two, said.

"None of the other guys that I played with growing up are here anymore."