Recognising the financial benefits for players in the latter stages of their career, Gurney is travelling the world predominantly playing T10 and T20 cricket.

The decision was not solely fuelled by a desire to cash in before retiring; Gurney’s realisation that his skillset lent itself to white ball led to the decision.

“I wasn’t particularly enjoying or loving my red-ball cricket anymore," explains Gurney. "I mean, I’d known pretty much my whole career I wasn’t any good enough to play Test cricket, so it felt like a no-brainer, really.”

Cricket fans can watch the BBL live on Kayo Sports - click here for a free two-week trial!

Looking at Gurney’s list of teams represented, it is genuinely multinational: Barbados Tridents (CPL), Kolkata Knight Riders (IPL), Melbourne Renegades (BBL), Nottinghamshire (Blast), Quetta Gladiators (PSL).

More impressive is the list of competition wins with Caribbean Premier League, Pakistan Super League and, of course, last year’s BBL. He has also played, and won, in a T10 league in the UAE.

Winning the BBL with the Renegades has been one of Gurney’s proudest moments.

“The Big Bash League, I’m sure it’s got better every year, but from the first year it started, I’ve sat and watched games from freezing cold England and admired it as competition,” he reveals.

“So to play in it and experience it last year was an incredible thing. To win it was just not in my wildest dreams, really and I can’t wait to get back.”

In last year’s BBL, Gurney bowled regularly at the end of the innings and showed how effective he is in those situations. His ten wickets came at 24.40 each with an economy rate of 7.17.

Despite being 33, Gurney’s form suggests that he could yet be close to representing England again. He has 10 ODI and 2 T20I appearances but feels that he's near to breaking into England’s white-ball squad.

“I feel like, for the first time in a while, I am actually am on the periphery again," he says. "I think it certainly can’t do me any harm if I have another go at Big Bash given that it’s a high-profile tournament and the T20 World Cup itself happens to be in Australia.”

However, Gurney is phlegmatic about his chances: “Having said that, I’m not overly preoccupied with it, and it sounds like a cliché, but I’m not.

"I’m not thinking about international cricket, and I’m really happy, and I’m comfortable doing what I’m doing, and if it ends up leaving me putting on an England shirt again, then that would be a fantastic by-product of it.

"But my main focus and this does sound cheesy and cliché, but my main focus is the Renegades.”

Apart from representing the Renegades, Gurney has far more to celebrate with another Christmas and New Year in Australia. 

His wife and son will join him again, which will help with settling back into Melbourne life. He describes the city has feeling like home and will meet up with friends. 

There is a connection between his UK team, Nottinghamshire, and Victoria so has made friendships with players in the state.

Having already played a season in the BBL, Gurney enjoys the variety that playing in the different states brings.

In his comments about other cities, Gurney was quick not to take the line Kevin Pietersen did about Brisbane: “I like everywhere I’ve been in Australia.

"My overriding memory of Brisbane is it is incredibly hot and humid. But then, you go down to somewhere like Hobart, and it’s a lot quieter, but the scenery is just incredible.

"And then Sydney and Melbourne are obviously a lot more built up and cosmopolitan, and I love that as well.”

While putting in stellar performances in BBL08, Gurney attracted comments from Mark Waugh on the TV commentary.  Waugh described Gurney as looking like ‘Mr Bean’. 

Gurney was quick to agree and said himself he was a “professional cricketer playing with a 50-year-old accountant's body."

“Anyone that follows me on social media will know that I’m pretty thick-skinned and certainly took offence whatsoever to his comments," he told Inside Sport. "It was good-natured, and I had no issues with it at all, it was all banter as far as I’m concerned.

“You know, as I said a couple of times before, I grew up watching Mark Waugh play for Australia, so it’s still surreal for me having people like him, or Ricky Ponting sat in the commentary talking about me.

"So whether they’re calling me Mr Bean and saying I should be playing fourth grade or praising me, to have them sitting in the commentary talking about me is hugely flattering really.”

Gurney’s laid-back approach and white-ball prowess could help the Renegades go back-to-back.

Cricket fans can watch the BBL live on Kayo Sports - click here for a free two-week trial!