Blow for Aussie cricket great Shane Watson and wife Lee Furlong as their business shuts down

Australian cricket legend Shane Watson has confirmed the sporting company he runs with his wife Lee Furlong is shutting down.

Watson, 42, launched T20 Stars two years ago, but despite encouraging early numbers, selling high volumes of cricket equipment online proved to be challenging.

The former all-rounder is also pressed for time, having accepted an offer to be the head coach of American Major League Cricket franchise the San Francisco Unicorns.

Two of Watson’s key signings are former Australian captain Aaron Finch and Melbourne Stars Big Bash League X-factor Marcus Stoinis.

While regretful at the demise of T20 Stars as a business, Watson feels he has made the right decision.

Australian cricket legend Shane Watson has confirmed the sporting company he runs with his wife Lee Furlong (pictured) is shutting down

Watson (pictured in 2015) launched T20 Stars two years ago, but despite encouraging early results, selling high volumes of cricket equipment online proved to be challenging

‘There were solid sales through the couple of years that T20 Stars was up and running, but it ended up getting to a stage over the last six months, that I just had to pick and choose where my time was spent,’ he told News Corp.

‘It is certainly a challenging industry and there’s some big players … it really was an incredible learning experience for both Lee and myself.’

Watson first started developing the business brand following a decorated career in all three forms of the sport.

He was the world’s top-ranked all-rounder for a record 120 consecutive weeks between 2011 and 2014, and also won three ODI World Cups and two Ashes series.

The soon-to-be-defunct company was a joint venture between the and Furlong (pictured together) 

Watson announced his retirement in 2020 after playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League.

For Australia, he played 59 Tests, scoring 3,731 runs and snaring 75 wickets as well as playing in 190 one-day internationals and 58 Twenty20 matches.

Twice an Allan Border Medal winner, Watson met Furlong in 2006 through mutual friends and they were married four years later on the NSW central coast.

The glamour couple then welcomed their son Will into the world on March 14, 2013, with daughter Matilda Victoria next in 2015.