Michael Hussey made his international debut at 30. He retired a few months before he turns 38. In between, he played 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20s. The left-hander averaged 51.52 in the five-day format, 48.15 in one-dayers and nearly 38 in the shortest format of the game. In a nutshell, a highly productive career, one that made the Aussies proud. Hussey made his name as a finisher in all versions of the sport, so it was fitting that he was at the crease in his final international innings, guiding the Australians to a win at Sydney as they clean swept Sri Lanka 3-0.
As impressive are his figures, so is his attitude. In spite of not getting a chance to represent Australia as a youth considering the huge resources of talent the Aussies had at their disposal, Hussey kept piling on the runs in domestic cricket. Many others who played with him may have given up hope. But the left-hander remained positive all throughout, which was evident from the fact that he rarely had a bad run in first-class cricket. Considering his dedication and consistency, Cricket Australia (CA) ought to have given him a chance sooner or later. He finally got it in 2005. Hussey was 30 by then, but over a last seven years he has more than made up for lost time.
Hussey proved his versatility as a cricketer, batting in the middle-order for Australia without ever complaining although he was an opener all his life in the domestic arena. In his first two years on the scene, he batted as if his life depended on his international success. His average was Bradmanesque. In fact, for close to 30 ODIs, his average was close to 100. Of course, he was helped by the number of not outs he gathered, but that itself was an indication of how much pride he had over preserving his wicket. Even when he went through a tough phase in the 2008-09 season, he never threw his wicket away, and eventually fought back the hard way. Significantly, he ended his career like he began, on top of his game.
The greatest asset about having Hussey in the team was that he was an ‘all-rounder’ with the bat. Primarily, he was a sedate middle-order bat, who held up one end and allowed the stroke-makers to play around him. Make no mistake, Hussey himself could hit the big shots, but he preferred to be the batsman who anchored the innings. Every time the occasion rose though he was equal to the task. He was the complete team-man. When Australia, needed quick runs from him, he had the ability to shift gears. His lofted strokes were rarely hit hard, but more often than not cleared the field. Hussey could also play the short ball without any trouble, using his height to full advantage.
For a batsman of Hussey’s talent, he deserved to play for Australia longer than seven years. In a land which produces exceptional talents year after year though, Mr. Cricket did abundantly well to leave a mark of his own, and carve out a great career for himself.
--By A Cricket Analyst
