Live Score
Teams
Players“Mr Cricket” Michael Hussey’s all-format expertise to benefit Australia
The 51-year-old was hired as a consultant coach and T20 advisor last week, with important assignments in mind over the next two years.
Prefer HTon Google
Within days of their 2-1 Test defeat against South Africa, Australia have sought to address their batting woes. To that end last week, Michael Hussey was brought on board as a consultant coach and T20 advisor.
Australia won the first Test at Kingsmead after Matt Renshaw piled on the runs. Others contributed with the bat too, but after that, their batting came a cropper in Gqeberha and Cape Town games. In a major fallout, Marnus Labuschagne has already been told that he won't be considered for the New Zealand Tests next month.
Also Read: Cricket Australia appoints Mike Hussey as consultant coach and T20 advisor
Australia's batting failures are nothing new. In August, for the first time in their history, they lost to Bangladesh at home — at Darwin. In what was the first game of the two-Test series, they performed poorly with the bat, scoring 198 and 284, and Bangladesh pounced on the opportunity.
Against South Africa, only Renshaw averaged 50 or above -- 61.50. However, out of his 361 runs, 272 alone came in the first game. Travis Head averaged 35; Alex Carey 31.40; Labuschagne 21.83; and Steve Smith 20.75 in two games.
Since November 2021, there has not been a single Aussie batter who averages 50. With an average of 45.16 in 44 games, the now-retired Usman Khawaja leads the charts, followed by Steve Smith (44.97 in 50 games) and Head (43.64 in 51 games).
To put things into perspective, India, who have lost home series against New Zealand and South Africa and the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy during this period, don’t have anyone with an average of 50 either.
To make matters worse for Australia, Khawaja, Smith and Head are the only ones with averages in the 40s. In 79 Tests, Hussey averages 51.52. He has been roped in as a consultant coach for the Ashes and the 50-over World Cup next year. As a T20 advisor, his work mainly involves overseeing preparations for the LA Olympics and the T20 World Cup in 2028.
Australia will travel to India for an important World Test Championship five-Test series early next year; however, there has been no communication on whether he will be part of that entourage as well.
Hussey potent across formats
Hussey, dubbed “Mr Cricket” during his playing days, is an all-format great. He also averages 48.15 in 185 ODIs and 37.94 in 38 T20Is. There are not many batters who boast that kind of record across formats. As far as his coaching CV is concerned, he has worked as a batting coach for the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League for 8 years. He has had short stints with Cricket Australia now and then too.
It may be noted that prior to the Test defeat against South Africa , the Aussies had come a cropper in the ODI rubber too. Earlier this year, they failed to even reach the Super 8s at the T20 World Cup. Considering the Aussie plight across formats, Hussey appears to be the one-stop solution, to all intents and purposes.
“I'm in the camp of, from a coaching point of view, that player takes ownership and responsibility for their game. I can't go on and bat for them in the middle. They're gonna have to go and do it. So I'm here to help and service you as much as I possibly can and offer suggestions, but you have got to figure it out,” the 51-year-old said on the Stick to Cricket podcast last year.
He is also a big proponent of premeditation while batting, particularly in limited-overs cricket. “So let's say, for example, we're getting towards the back end of a 50-over game, and I've got to try and find a few boundaries. Someone's bowling to me. I was thinking, okay, well, I think I can get him here, here or here (gesturing with his hand). So in the old days, you say: ‘don't premeditate’.
"But I think premeditation is actually OK in white-ball cricket. Well, probably any cricket really, because then you go through your routine. As he lets go of the ball, I've still got to see it. Oh, it's the wide one there (gesturing again). Okay, that's where I can get him. So you're still making a decision. So you're still in the present and clear, and then making your decision,” he added.
With Hussey’s appointment, Cricket Australia has done its bit. They couldn't have found a better man to guide and nurture them. Now the ball is in the batters’ court. As Hussey said, they will have to take ownership and responsibility.
