Hussey retiring?

[Matt79]

There's a rumour being aired on radio in Melbourne at the moment that Mike Hussey is expected to make an announcement imminently announcing he will be retiring.

At this stage, could be crap obviously, but could also see him announcing he'll pull the plug at the conclusion of the coming Aussie summer. Or else there could be a family issue.

[pasag]

Could see it coming.

[BoyBrumby]

Would have the faint whiff of a "jump before we push you" sort of retirement that we've seen so much of from Oz of late if he goes now.

Struggle to believe a bloke of 34 (IIRC) who spent the better part of a decade waiting for a chance in the test team would give it away of his own volition after barely four years.

[howardj]

Originally Posted by Matt79

There's a rumour being aired on radio in Melbourne at the moment that Mike Hussey is expected to make an announcement imminently announcing he will be retiring.

At this stage, could be crap obviously, but could also see him announcing he'll pull the plug at the conclusion of the coming Aussie summer. Or else there could be a family issue.

Find it strange that he would be announcing it in advance. It's not like he is a great of the game (Waugh, Warne, McGrath etc) who would feel obliged to give advance notice to public that he was leaving.

[Matt79]

Originally Posted by BoyBrumby

Would have the faint whiff of a "jump before we push you" sort of retirement that we've seen so much of from Oz of late if he goes now.

Struggle to believe a bloke of 34 (IIRC) who spent the better part of a decade waiting for a chance in the test team would give it away of his own volition after barely four years.

That's why I wondered if, if it is true, there might be some family or other non-cricket related reason for an announcement now.

Can't imagine they decided to axe him now given his century at the Oval and the opponents we've got coming up.

[Daryl Harper]

I hope so.

[Simon]

Originally Posted by howardj

Find it strange that he would be announcing it in advance. It's not like he is a great of the game (Waugh, Warne, McGrath etc) who would feel obliged to give advance notice to public that he was leaving.

This and the fact a couple more failures and he doesn't see out the summer anyway. Maybe he's looking at it from the point of view that if he announces he is retiring the selectors would let him go out on his terms then.

[Andre]

It's certainly time for him to retire IMO, he's been on a pretty severe slide for a while in Test cricket despite his last innings hundred.

Always struck me as the sort of bloke who would go kicking and screaming though rather than on his own terms, would would be extremely super suprised if he packed it in, even though he should.

[pup11]

Originally Posted by Matt79

There's a rumour being aired on radio in Melbourne at the moment that Mike Hussey is expected to make an announcement imminently announcing he will be retiring.

At this stage, could be crap obviously, but could also see him announcing he'll pull the plug at the conclusion of the coming Aussie summer. Or else there could be a family issue.

Tbh, I hope that's just a rumour, because I see him, Clarke and Ponting playing a big role in leading this team through the transition period, and even he recently said that he wasn't even thinking about retirement.

Though if he retries at this point of time, that would be another big blow to this already depleted Australian side, ideally I think he should stick around atleast till the next Ashes series.

[Richard]

Will wait and see if the rumours amount to anything before I comment, methinks.

[Matt79]

Originally Posted by pup11

Tbh, I hope that's just a rumour, because I see him, Clarke and Ponting playing a big role in leading this team through the transition period, and even he recently said that he wasn't even thinking about retirement.

Though if he retries at this point of time, that would be another big blow to this already depleted Australian side, ideally I think he should stick around atleast till the next Ashes series.

What would be convenient for the team won't generally have any bearing on where a player is personally in terms of appettite or form. Ideally, Warne and Hayden would still be suitable to lead the team as well. If Huss has found there's a reason he needs to get off the treadmill, or woken up and realized he doesn't believe he can recapture his form any more, then he'll retire, and the team will just have to cope.

I reckon he'll pull the pin at the end of the coming Aussie summer. I think he'd have been thinking about the 2011 WC, but that might seem a long way away for a 35 year old facing another 12 months on the road if his form hasn't picked up again. Especially if the selectors indicate he's not assured of a spot.

[pasag]

Originally Posted by Richard

Will wait and see if the rumours amount to anything before I comment, methinks.

pff, where's the fun in that?

Retirement rumours are usually true, for the most part.

[Matt79]

Fwiw, would think it was probably timely if he went. He's still good enough at the moment, but it's always better to go before you become an obvious liability. And he wouldn't be the loss the "old" Mike Hussey would have been, say 18 months ago. The figures he's turned in in that period mean that, essentially, we've already lost him - any replacement is likely to do at least as well as Huss has in that period. Would give Watson a slot of his own in the top order and Jaques or Hughes a way back into the team.

[BoyBrumby]

Connected to Hussey's (maybe) retirement, but a wider point too: is it just me, or do the Australian selectors now seemingly have a huge aversion to dropping any senior player ever? As if being dropped is sooo beyond the pale they won't countenance it and hurry blokes into retirement by given them this "choice" to jump first.

Only guessing, but I reckon Hayden, Langer, Martyn, MacGill, Hogg & SR Waugh were all retirodropped to lesser or greater exents.

[pup11]

Originally Posted by Matt79

What would be convenient for the team won't generally have any bearing on where a player is personally in terms of appettite or form. Ideally, Warne and Hayden would still be suitable to lead the team as well. If Huss has found there's a reason he needs to get off the treadmill, or woken up and realized he doesn't believe he can recapture his form any more, then he'll retire, and the team will just have to cope.

I reckon he'll pull the pin at the end of the coming Aussie summer. I think he'd have been thinking about the 2011 WC, but that might seem a long way away for a 35 year old facing another 12 months on the road if his form hasn't picked up again. Especially if the selectors indicate he's not assured of a spot.

A few days ago I read somewhere that he was saying how he was looking forward to play his part in this rebuilding Australian side, and he wasn't even contemplating retirement as he hasn't really played much international cricket and therefore his body is still in good enough shape to withstand rigors of international cricket.