Former Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson has hung up his boots from the country’s premier T20 competition the Big Bash League. Johnson, however, will continue playing domestic T20 competition in other countries.

The left-handed pacer played in the last two seasons of the competition and was essential in Perth Scorcher’s BBL-winning campaign in 2016-17, finishing with figures of 4-0-13-1 in the final against Sydney Sixers and not allowing them to get a move on.

Johnson’s manager, meanwhile, revealed that the intensity required and the length of the competition makes it impossible for him to take part as he is going to turn 37 in the summer.

"The intensity and length of the BBL is just too much for someone who will be 37 at the start of the summer," Sam Halvorsen, Johnson's manager, told The West Australian newspaper. "Mitch has put his name up for the Emirates tournament in Dubai, but that is half the length of the BBL."

Mitchell Johnson took part in 19 BBL games and took 20 wickets at a strike-rate of 22.2. This decision comes after BBL decided to expand the competition, making each team play 14 games in a home-and-away format.

This increases the tournament by 16 matches from the previous season as there are going to be 59 matches in the next edition of the BBL. It is unclear whether Johnson would play in the Indian Premier League – another gruelingly long competition – but wants to take part in the T10 competition in Dubai as he hopes to be picked up by one of the eight franchises.