Shane Watson will aim to prove to Australian selectors he can still manage the burden of opening and being an allrounder when he plays for NSW in a rare Sheffield Shield appearance this week.

Watson has been named in the Blues team to play Western Australia in Perth starting on Friday, along with Brad Haddin, in what will be his first serious fitness challenge following several months on the sidelines with a calf injury.

Throughout his convalescence Watson insisted he had no intentions of either giving away his bowling duties or his role as an opener if it could be avoided.

And after coming through a Sydney club match on the weekend, the burly 30-year-old said he was keen to show selectors he could still handle the double workload.

“I’d love to open, that’s where I’ve had the most enjoyment as a batsman, that’s where my game really progressed from,” Watson told reporters on Wednesday.

“At the moment I’m going to open the batting (in the Shield game) and my bowling workload is just enough to be able to build up my amount of overs that I’m bowling.

“Coming from not doing much for a few months, it’s going to take this week to be able to get my overs up to 10 or 12 in a day.”

Watson also refused to speculate on whether he would return to international cricket during the ongoing triangular one-day series, saying his main focus was on getting through this week’s game at the WACA Ground.

“In the end the most important thing is getting through the next few days and getting through the Shield game,” he said.

“That’s the vital thing, to be able to prove my fitness and see what happens from there.”