KYLE COETZER is looking back but not quite done with looking forward.

A period of reflection has been sparked by a year without any international cricket but, more importantly, after the Scotland captain was chosen as the ICC’s Men’s Associate Player of the Decade, his name appearing alongside Virat Kohli and Steve Smith as someone who has lit up the sport over the past 10 years.

It is quite an accolade, a nod to the 36 year-old’s consistency with the bat - he compiled almost 3500 runs for Scotland across both formats - as well as to his enduring excellence; his 156 against Bangladesh in 2015 was the only century by an Associate player at a World Cup.

Add in his appearance at the 2016 T20 World Cup, his half-century in the famous ODI win over England at the Grange in 2018 and his steady, reassuring captaincy, it makes for a decent list of accomplishments.

“I think it just means that I’m old,” laughs the Aberdonian. “But it’s a huge honour to get an award like this.

“It was a bit of a shock to the system when they announced it, but it was really special to see five Scots nominated and Kathryn Bryce getting the female award, too.

“It’s something I’ll cherish for a long time and I have to pay thanks to a lot of people who have made that possible and helped shape me in some way.

“In cricket you often question your own abilities. Self-confidence can quickly diminish if you nick one through first ball or go a couple of innings without making many runs.

“But, even if it doesn’t always feel like it, my record shows I’ve enjoyed decent consistency throughout the years and this award is maybe recognition of that.

“I’m pretty content with what I’ve done in my career. I’ve won every trophy there is to win in England, played in World Cups and beaten the number one side in the world. So I can’t complain too much.”

Given everything that he has achieved so far, plus ongoing uncertainty over when Scotland might play again, it would not have been a surprise if Coetzer had felt this was a good time to hang up the bat.

For now, though, retirement is not in his thinking. A respite from travelling and playing has seen the Durham-based player switch his focus to working on his fitness, while there are still some targets he wants to hit.

A return to India for the rearranged T20 World Cup later this year is the most immediate one, although he has not ruled out hanging around to try to help the Scots reach the 2023 one-day World Cup, also on the sub-continent.

“If I had to stop playing for whatever reason, I would be okay with that,” adds the man nicknamed Costa. “I’ve already made my peace with that.

“But reaching that point mentally also gives me the freedom to express myself which makes me even more dangerous as a player.

“We’re going to have a backlog of fixtures when we start up and my drive to keep playing is certainly still there.

“I feel I’m in better shape than when I went into lockdown as I’ve worked pretty hard physically. You have to keep up with the youngsters the best you can!

“There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming years and I feel that I still have a lot to give to Scottish cricket. So I’m not in a hurry to stop playing.

“There are a few things I still want to tick off. I want to help us get out the group stage of a World Cup and also reach another 50-over one. That’s my big aim for a few years down the line.

“One of my greatest experiences was playing in the 2015 World Cup and I’d really like to go through that again.

“And I’d like to see Scotland reach the criteria for becoming a Full Member. That would be a nice send-off actually if we could be the next country to make that jump.”

Coetzer has spent the last few weeks coaching the England women’s team ahead of their tour to New Zealand as he starts to think about possible next steps for when the time finally comes to stop playing. But he is no rush to put them into practise.

“It was nice to be asked to go and help them out a bit,” he adds. “I’d imagine that’s the path my career could take eventually. I’m not scared to maybe venture out and try a few different things and gain some new experiences.

“But cricket has always been a part of me. And I’m sure in future that will continue to be the case.”