Mike Hussey

Born: May 27, 1975, Mt Lawley, Perth, Western Australia
Major Teams: Australia, Chennai Super Kings, Durham, Gloucestershire, Mumbai Indians, Northamptonshire, Sydney Thunder, Western Australia
Batting Style: Left Hand Bat
Bowling Style: Right Arm Medium
 

Profile

An accumulator who is virtually impossible to distract at the crease, Michael Hussey waited a decade before becoming an overnight star. Others might have given up, or at least relaxed, during all that time in the backblocks of the Sheffield Shield and County Championship, but Hussey maintained the intensity and was soon living in a statistical world occupied by few others. After two years in the Test side his average rose to 86.18; it had already taken 29 ODIs for his mean to drop below 100. In just 166 days he become the fastest player to 1000 Test runs, but he was reluctant to dwell on the records because he knew the sky-high ride wouldn't last.

He was right and the recession hit hard in 2008-09. Despite being forced to battle for runs and his spot in the various teams, he continued to talk cheerfully and walk quickly. As a batsman he is old fashioned, preferring to work and caress the ball, especially through cover with a crisp drive. There are times when he breaks free - batting with the No.11 or in the final stages of a limited-overs innings - and in that mood he can pull ferociously, but mostly he travels at a safe speed. If they let him, he would bat for a week without becoming bored.

Having grown up as a specialist opener, he has spent most of his time in the middle order with Australia and hasn't complained. His team ethic is on display in the field, where he is a reliable catcher at gully and a regular encourager, and he is scrupulous at practice. The overall attitude earned him the Mr Cricket nickname, a moniker of fun and extreme respect.
 

Source: ESPNcricinfo