Shane Watson believes his Allan Border Medal win has finally given him the public acceptance and acclaim he has long sought.

The 28-year-old all-rounder is the toast of Australian cricket after capping off a stellar season by claiming the sport's highest individual honour yesterday with Watson admitting he was still in shock almost 24 hours later.

But it is what the medal win has done for his public standing that has most pleased Watson as it finally brings an end to the days when he was merely labelled as 'the injury-prone Shane Watson'.

For years Watson had to deal with the negative public fall-out from his regular physical breakdowns as well as the dramas of this summer when he was widely criticised for his over the top send-off of West Indies skipper Chris Gayle during the third Test in Perth.

And he was also labelled a 'choker' by some fans after three times falling just short of his maiden Test century early in the summer before finally breaking through with his first Test ton during the second innings of the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne after being dropped on 99.

Watson says he has been overwhelmed by the amount of goodwill he has received in the wake of his Allan Border Medal victory and admits it has taken the pressure off as he has learned to finally enjoy playing cricket at the top level in recent months.

"That is what keeps me going, the total enjoyment factor and also the real nice warm support I am getting around Australia, which is what I have been getting over the last couple of months," he said.

"And that is the reason you play because you want to entertain and get people to enjoy what you do."

Watson admitted he has struggled in the past to cope with the public's expectations on him, particularly during the injury-plagued days of earlier in his career.

"At times I have been overwhelmed with the support I have been getting but that (public criticism) was something that (early on) compounded where I was mentally," he added.

"Whenever I had another hamstring injury that (the perceived public reaction) was going on in my mind and I was worried about what people thought of me and how I was in the end underachieving in my mind and that compounded where I was at."