Michael Hussey expected to deliver at Ashes
Words have been told to Hussey quite clearly that he needs to perform on Thursday. It is not the media, nor the fans, but the Victorians who have narrated this to him. A glance at his stats will depict that he has not scored a century in six Test matches
and has averaged just 26.
In the suburbs of the team, everybody is inquiring whether he is playing for his place, both directly and indirectly. Even before this, a 17-man squad was finalized last week to send a signal to the senior players that it is time to either perform or perish.
Hussey seems to be a gentle character, taking things in a positive way, but pain is quite evident in his smiles. There is not much doubt that he trusts himself to deliver in the upcoming Ashes.
“In my mind I still have the belief that I am good enough to be in the team,” he explained while the team was preparing at Brisbane. But he feels that once the element of uncertainty sets in, it is rather painful to bear that. A question of whether he should
or should not be in the team has dented him badly. It seems that some people have lost faith in him to which he is aware of. Only one thing can fix it for him and that’s a superb performance at the Gabba.
For a player who is aging, proving something to the selectors is an uphill task. At first, runs are what matter the most. But as things fall down the line, stakes get high with trying to hold on to everything: the spot, the goodwill, the reputation. But
this time it seems a daunting task for the aging Hussey to prove the critics wrong like he did the last time. He has barely made it to the team this time, and if he fails upfront, then the next games will certainly not ensure him a place.
At the age of 35, Hussey will have to show that he is focused and free, a claim that does not always go hand in hand. Throughout the cricketing career, focus is an attribute associated to him. The single-minded attitude revolutionized him as a cricketer
in recent times. That is why his perfect first class career earned him a spot in the team, an average of 80 which continued for two years even after debut.
But this journey and attribute will be of no avail if the performance at Gabba is below par. This could just end his career as the stakes are high this time. Hussey seems to be glad at the moment that he made it in the squad. It was a century for Western
Australia that proved to be the savior.
He believes that pressure is just adding to his motivation rather than hampering it. And that it is better to take pressure as a wake up call, so that performance can be boosted. His belief revolves around enjoying the game that is to be played. Not only
this, but giving a fight worth it, which is also significant.
Hussey is not ready to bring about a change in his approach. He thinks that the problem is not that technical. This is something normal. The last time he was under similar sort of pressure was at the Ovals in 2009, but his 121 saved a seat for him in the
team. Worse was that even his century could not save the match, and the owners of the urn were changed. This time however, the pressure is immense and the time is running out. Hopes from Hussey to perform are high. We will have to wait to find out.
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