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Michael Hussey – Is his time up?

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
I love your work SJS. Keep them coming.

Interesting to see how threads went from how good he is and how good his form is to the complete opposite.
Thanks mate. I was hoping you would not think I wrote this to run down your thread opener. Hence the starting sentence :)
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
I am increasingly concerned that he is becoming the Australian equivalent of Jimmy Adams.

There are a lot of similarities: both were left-handers, both initially had spectacular years in Test cricket as part of very good teams and both have become increasingly defensive as the years have worn on. Both were also good fielders and could send down a few overs.

There are some differences; Hussey is still more aggressive than Adams ever was, plus Hussey's slump has realistically lasted for less than a year (since the NZ series at home). Adams' slump lasted for several (since 1995, when he was hit on the cheekbone). Unfortunately, Hussey has averaged around 20 since that time, whilst Adams averaged 25.

I really hope that I'm wrong and this is just a temporary, Taylor-like slump, not a career-ending one. But I'm worried; I really am.

EDIT: Hussey and Adams both sit on just over 3000 runs. That just makes the similarities even creepier. I also note that Hussey's strengths (i.e - the quicksilver cover drive and flashy pull) have become his weaknesses. For instance, he tends to lamely nick his cover drives and pull balls aerially into vacant territory or even into the hands of fielders.
 
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Uppercut

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I've said it before, the killer to the "Hussey is past it" theory is his ODI form over the past year.
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
I've said it before, the killer to the "Hussey is past it" theory is his ODI form over the past year.
Yeah, it is unusual for someone to bat so well in ODI's and yet be so nakedly out-of-sorts in Tests. That's something else which differentiates him from Jimmy Adams (who was never really a good ODI batsman to begin with).
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
I am increasingly concerned that he is becoming the Australian equivalent of Jimmy Adams.

There are a lot of similarities: .
In 1995 Adams had his face smashed in by a bouncer from Andre van Troost and he averaged 28.8 in 35 Tests after that date.

What is the excuse for Hussey? Adams didnt just stop batting. For there to be worthwhile similarities there needs to be a comparable career changing event.
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
In 1995 Adams had his face smashed in by a bouncer from Andre van Troost and he averaged 28.8 in 35 Tests after that date.
Ah OK, my bad. I thought it was lower.

What is the excuse for Hussey? Adams didnt just stop batting. For there to be worthwhile similarities there needs to be a comparable career changing event.
The only thing I can think of which may've set off Hussey's slump is an execrable decision against him in Brisbane vs NZ. He wasn't really the same after that.

But why does there need to be a comparable career changing event when comparing players who have (in Tests, anyway) had very similar career trajectories?
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah, it is unusual for someone to bat so well in ODI's and yet be so nakedly out-of-sorts in Tests. That's something else which differentiates him from Jimmy Adams (who was never really a good ODI batsman to begin with).
Reminds me of Bevan. Brillliant in ODI but ordinay in tests., although I am wondering about what would have happened if bouncer was permitted in his time.
 

morgieb

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His career does seem to be in a slump. IMO if he doesn't score runs and Australia lose he'll quite easily get scapegoated and dropped.
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
His career does seem to be in a slump. IMO if he doesn't score runs and Australia lose he'll quite easily get scapegoated and dropped.
Thats okay if he is dropped. Its not the end of the world. Bigger players than him have been dropped in the game's history.

And why should his dropping be looked at as if he was being 'scapegoated'?

In the last three series PLUS the ongoing one, he is not able to get going getting

  • Against NZL : 105 runs in 2 Tests at 35.0
  • Against SAF : 85 runs in 3 Tests at 17.0 (at home)
  • Against SAF : 132 runs in 3 Tests at 22.0 (away)
  • Against ENG : 3 runs in 1 Test at 3.0 (away)

Thats a total of 325 runs in 9 Tests at 21.7 !

Why does he his dropping (if he is after another failure in the current Test) be considered 'scapegoating'? It is the most obvious thing and being the class player that he is, he should be expected to bounce back and get into the side again on merit.

Its not as if Australia's talent pool is overflowing with batsmen that his age should be such a major factor if he gets back to form.
 
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slowfinger

International Debutant
Theres no need for him to retire for 4-5 years just because his form dropped for the last year or so.

Dont forget that an average of 55 is still world class.
 

Jakester1288

International Regular
How did Hussey go today? I know he made 51 or there abouts, I have heard he looked organized, but how did he really go? Was he in good nick? Playing good shots? Looking like the Hussey of old? Leaving the right balls and hitting the middle of the bat? Confident?

Damn myself for going to bed when it rained the second time just before it come back on.

Wow. That is crap form. Reckon that he may do well here, though.
It's obvious you didn't read the first post. I had that there, near the end, when I run through his series, his averages against New Zealand, South Africa and his single innings against England.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Against us he was in fine form, I just think the pitches and Vettori's captaincy got the better of him.
 

Pigeon

Banned
Hussey was over rated because he debuted at the peak of his career. This coupled with some ordinary bowling attacks and placid pitches (Esp in Australia, where he played majority of his first 18 tests), inflated his average to a ridiculous 83. He is a good player no doubt, but not really that great. Had he debuted at say 24 or 25 he'd be averaging somewhere near late 40s, something like Damien Martyn did.
 

James90

Cricketer Of The Year
Loved the banter last night.

Matthews: That's 16 tests with only one hundred, surely he's skating on thin ice?
MacGill: How many tests without a hundred was it for you, Marto?
Martyn: Oh...we won't go into that. It was three of four.
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Against us he was in fine form, I just think the pitches and Vettori's captaincy got the better of him.
I too thought that when he faced South Africa. He was still scoring one day runs, it was just that the South Africans knew how to bowl to him. If he was so out of touch, he wouldn't be scoring a dime in any cricket.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Will put my hand up and admit I was the guy that used "Huss-esque", suggesting it should replace Bradman-esque. But, am I say this confident people can look it up and prove me to be a liar, it was said completely tongue in cheek to take the mickey out of the hyperbole that was going on in the thread in question. Imagine my surprise when a few started debating my suggestion in complete earnestness.

EDIT:
Well, this is kind of embarrassing, my tongue-in-cheekness and distance from the hyperbole isn't quite as clear in the post as I suggested they were, but I do remember making that post, and I was being silly, rather than actually suggesting people were going to start using "Hussque" as an adjective in cricket.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/903813-post52.html
 
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