Thursday, September 10, 2009

Hussey knew the writing was on the wall


David Hussey has admitted he saw the writing on the wall before being axed from the Australian one-day team after failing to grab his chance "with both hands".

Hussey averaged a measly 11.14 from his last seven knocks prior to scoring 111 in a one-off tour match against Scotland in Edinburgh on August 28, mostly batting at number four.

The 32-year-old revealed that upon his omission from the current seven-game ODI series against England, national selectors advised him what was required to regain a spot in the Australian side - although he didn't divulge details.

Hussey also drew comfort from assurances that there would be "many more opportunities in the future" for him.

"I basically didn't grab the spot with both hands," Hussey said on Thursday at the MCG.

"So it's really up to me now to make as many runs for Victoria as possible and hopefully have a great (Twenty20) Champions League and force my way back in that way.

"They (the selectors) basically outlined a way to get back into the team and they did say there would be many more opportunities in the future and it's up to me to grab an opportunity and run with it for quite some time.

"That's what I plan to do. If I get another chance I desperately want to take it."

However, Hussey was experiencing no such batting woes at first-class level in a recent stint with Nottinghamshire when he plundered 407 runs at 81.40, including two centuries and a 50.

The Western Australian-born batsman agreed that his omission from the national team was made all the more frustrating considering how well he was performing in the county competition.

"I was playing pretty well, it was a great little stint at Nottinghamshire," he said. "Scored a few runs here and there and (it was a) great time to get away and play some decent cricket while The Ashes is on."

Hussey's century against the Scots was his biggest ever ODI score but it still wasn't enough to totally restore confidence in himself that he belongs on the international stage.

But the Bushranger hopes to replicate that form for Victoria during next month's inaugural Twenty20 Champions League which will pit the best domestic teams in the world against each other in a 16-day tournament in India.

"Scotland was another opportunity to make some decent runs and I was lucky enough to bat high on the list and was lucky enough to hit a few balls to the pickets," he said.

"So hopefully I can continue that form and make a few runs for Victoria in the Champions League."

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