Chris Nash does not know whether his county cricket career is over after 18 years.

The former Sussex batsman turned down the ego boost of a big farewell when he left Nottinghamshire as a Twenty20 champion at the end of last season.

He has started a new job in private healthcare and agreed to play for Horsham in the Sussex League.

But the hope of the chance to win a third Vitality Blast as the 2021 season nears will live on.

As the cricket economy shrinks due to the financial effects of Covid-19, that call might not come.

But it is a chance he was willing to take after a chat with his former Sussex and Notts coach Peter Moores.

Nash, who will turn 38 before the next T20 starts, said: “It would have been easier for me to say ‘That’s me done’ but I’m still playing good cricket.

“Peter Moores was massive. He said, ‘Look, you’ve still got plenty in the tank so don’t do that’.

“Although it might have been nice for two days and you get lots of messages, in February time when a club think they can’t sign an overseas, they might think there is an English guy there who is still playing good cricket and is available.

“From an ego point of view it would have been nice to have had the big farewell.

“But I made the call with my agent that I’m happy to sit tight.

“It’s a bit uncertain but that’s the way of the world at the moment. You have just got to adapt.”

Nash realises cricket has been hit hard by a season played without spectators.

He said: “From what I’m seeing, the amount of players who are going to be out of the game will be close to double what it was before.

“People are going to have a shock to their system.

“Clubs are going to look at their players and what they are paid and make sure they are getting good value.

“I think in any other year, if I had just finished playing at Notts, 37 years old and just won the T20, most counties would be interested in having you for T20.

“Some counties still are but probably me wanting to live in Hove and be within a few hours restricts me, but that’s my choice.”

Nash was already looking to life after playing.

The budget-tightening of the last few months turned him away from his first thought of cricket coaching.

He said: “I was going to work this winter and try and not play red-ball cricket.

“As the season ended, I spoke to Notts and they got to the stage where clubs are struggling for money and they need to get younger players in.

“We had had the conversation and I knew I wasn’t going to be playing there. My other job has built up and most clubs have shut up shop and there aren’t too many signings going on so I’m sitting tight to play T20 somewhere.

“If something comes up, I’d love to take it.

"But, if the stars don’t align, and clubs are in financial trouble, I’ll look at that as the season goes on.

“As you get older, you have to have something in place.

“I’ve always wanted to make sure I had a career ready to go and I’d have been a bit desperate now if I hadn’t.

“I have spoken to a few clubs and I would imagine they are looking at their squads for all formats at the moment.

“Come the New Year, they might look to see if they need any Twenty20 extras.

“I’m still training and keeping myself ready to make sure, if something comes up, I do myself justice.”