He will not take Indian medium-pacers any lightly, says Michael Hussey
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
'I'm up for spin challenge'
‘Mr Cricket’ to some and ‘Huss’ to his Aussie teammates, Michael Hussey has been an extraordinary story in contemporary cricket. He started his ODI career in a whirlwind fashion and averaged a staggering 107.71 in his first 27 games. Currently in a role of middle-order bulwark for the Aussie team, Hussey will be trying to live up to his captain Ricky Ponting’s expectations — leading the team’s challenge against Indian spinners in the coming series. In a candid conversation with Anupam Pratihary, Hussey talks about his brand of cricket, career and contest with India…
You have had a long distinguished career in English county cricket and domestic cricket in Australia. What has shaped and influenced you as a cricketer?
I just love the game. I love the different challenges of playing against different bowlers, different conditions and different match situations and coming out on top of these challenges give me a real high. Turning up for Australia and winning the Test and ODI matches for the team is the ultimate feeling and wearing the Baggy Green is a huge honour and a big motivating factor.
Do you consider India to be the toughest team to beat at home?
Well, South Africa is perhaps the toughest team to beat at home. But India is right up there. In South Africa, the weather and pitch conditions are quite similar and therefore it is easier to get acclimatized and perform there. However, in India, the conditions are very, very different from back home and therefore it is tougher here to perform.
 Michael Hussey feels touring India is one of the toughest international assignments. © Getty Images |
What’s the toughest part about playing India in India?
Personally, I feel it’s the heat and humidity in India which is the toughest to deal with. The pitches are slow and ball doesn’t come to bat, which makes batting against spinners that much difficult. Moreover, the crowds are very loud here, which makes it difficult to concentrate. We do get loud crowds back home but it’s nothing like what we experience here in India.
Last time Australia had come to India, the players were using ice-jackets. What new innovations do you have this time around?
Well, this time we have a range of things like ice bath, ice towel, ice vests and also the practice of changing the shirts frequently. We’ll try all these things to keep our bodies cool so that we can perform to our optimum level.
Ponting expects you to lead Australia’s challenge against Indian spinners. Are you up for it?
Well, if Ponting expects this from me then I’m surely up for it. I love playing spinners, but I would like to play my best against both medium-pacers and spinners. It takes just one ball to dismiss you and it can be a fast bowler or a spinner. The challenge would be to go out in the battle zone and play the best you can, so I’m definitely up for the challenge.
Will the team miss Michael Clarke?
Surely the team will miss Michael. He is a very good player of spin and has done well in India in the past and therefore we’ll surely miss him. Brad Haddin is also a good player of spin and we’ll miss him too.
Does that put pressure on the middle order?
No, we have a lot of faith in our young players and we believe that they will deliver when it comes to crunch time. It’s a huge opportunity for them to prove to the world that they are good enough to take on the challenges of international cricket. We have a lot of faith in them.
Do you think seven-game ODI series is too long for players?
I feel seven-game series is a lot of cricket. I agree with Ponting that five-game is the ideal number.
Do you think players are being taken for a ride by the cricket administrators?
There is a lot of politics that goes on behind the scene. If India plays a seven-game series in Australia then Australia has to play the same no. of matches in India to even out. There’s a lot that goes on behind the scene. However, at the end of the day, we are players and we love to play as much as possible, but not too much of cricket. It’s not in our hands anyway as Cricket Australia decides the tour programs, so it’s better to just get on with it.
