There has been a long tradition of cricketing cross-pollination between England and Australia, which Michael Hussey neatly epitomises. He gave plenty to English cricket during his 60 County Championship games for Durham, Gloucestershire and Northamptonshire in the early noughties, plus another 118 appearances in short-ball competitions. In return – and this has not been an entirely equal relationship – England gave him the nickname Mr Cricket, earned in the Northants dressing room and widely adopted back home. Now Hussey is giving once again.
When England, who face Ireland in the early hours of Wednesday in their second fixture, take on Australia in the T20 World Cup on Friday Hussey will be contributing to a distinct Aussie twang in their dressing room. Matthew Mott was tempted away from the Australian women’s team to join England’s white-ball side as head coach in May, and for this tournament has been joined by David Saker as bowling consultant, and by Hussey as batting specialist.
