At 32, Ryan Watson may only have one World Cup left in him, the one that lies two-and-a-half years away in the Asian subcontinent. He has laid claim to the title of Scotland's top batsman since he qualified for his adopted country in 2002, but in 36 games as captain he has averaged 28.7 - patchy by his standards.

In recent months the Harare-born, Johannesburg-raised all-rounder had to make his most difficult choice since opting to leave South Africa for good after a terrifying robbery at gunpoint.

Based in Broughty Ferry with his wife Lisa, the Forfarshire player has an eight-month-old daughter, Isabella, to support and a demanding job to fulfil as regional development manager with the Caledonian Brewery - but for the first time the opportunity he had always dreamed of, to play cricket full-time, had come along.

There is little security in his new employment - a one-year contract which, in the event of a finish beneath the top six at the World Cup Qualifier in April, would be untenable for the following four years. But if the Scots qualify for the 2011 showpiece, or at least retain their one-day international status, Watson can look forward to several years of doing what he does best for a living.

"It was a big decision, but in terms of trying to strike a life balance this was the best way forward," he said yesterday. "It's a big decision but hopefully myself and Cricket Scotland will reap the rewards in a couple of years' time.

"I am obviously taking a drop in salary but I plan to do some coaching with Forfarshire two or three days a week just to help make sure those financial losses are not too drastic.

"The role with Caledonian Brewery I was really thankful for, but I got a promotion and it was just getting difficult to juggle all three - so I sat down with Lisa and given that I want to continue playing cricket as long as possible and see my family, this was the only way that was going to happen.

"I'm really looking forward to it, and it means I can get the fitness aspect up, get the body right and hopefully prolong my career for a bit longer.

"I also hope the new structure means the younger guys won't need to get part-time jobs in supermarkets and things like that - as a result the team should improve a lot because competition will be far greater."