Past great Mike Hussey feared the chance to play Test cricket had passed him by before he embarked on an international career that has now landed him in Australian cricket's Hall of Fame.
A prolific first-class run-scorer for Western Australia, Hussey was famously uncapped at Test level until the age of 30.
The left-hander made his debut against West Indies in 2005 and played 79 Tests, making 6235 runs at 51.52 including 19 centuries and 29 half-centuries, with a top score of 195.
He was a key member of the Australia team for more than seven years during a period of success.
"I love the game very much but there were certainly challenging times, like in anyone's cricketing journey, where I thought, 'Oh well, you know, playing for Australia is probably not going to happen'," Hussey told reporters on Tuesday.
"It may have helped me in some ways because I was someone that put a lot of pressure on myself and wanted it so bad that sometimes you try a bit too hard and things don't go your way.
"As soon as I sort of relaxed a bit more and tried to enjoy that - just enjoy the game, enjoy playing the game and enjoy playing for Western Australia - that's when my performance has sort of improved again and eventually I got picked for Australia."
Hussey and former Australia women's team captain Lyn Larsen will be the 62nd and 63rd inductees into the Hall of Fame, which was established in 1996.
Larsen was a long-term captain of Australia's Women's team and an allrounder who represented the nation in Test and limited overs cricket between 1984 and 1994.
She played 15 Tests making 410 runs at 41, which included three 50s with a best of 86, and took 26 wickets at 18.73 with best figures of 4-33.
"Not only was Lyn a tremendous allrounder, her exceptional leadership guided the Australian women's team throughout a period of enormous success and set a wonderful example for all those who have followed," Cricket Australia CEO Nick Hockley said.
