Sports

Hussey Named Australian Cricket Consultant for Ashes, World Cup and Olympics

By AFP

Mike Hussey, the former Australian batsman known as ‘Mr Cricket’ for his technical expertise, has been appointed on Friday as a consultant coach for the Australian team for next year’s Ashes series against England and the 2027 Cricket World Cup. The 51‑year‑old declined an informal offer from England’s new red‑ball coach Stephen Fleming to become their Test batting mentor and has instead committed to helping Australia address a batting crisis highlighted by their recent 2‑1 Test series defeat in South Africa. Hussey will also provide coaching assistance during the home T20 series against England and the subsequent four‑Test series against New Zealand. In addition, he will work with Australia during the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where cricket is on the agenda, and the T20 World Cup in 2028.

"I am extremely excited about being a part of the team in a more formal and meaningful role in the coming years," Hussey said. "This team has achieved so much in recent times, to which I hope I can add value to the coaching and playing groups ahead of what will be an exciting and challenging period."

Hussey has extensive coaching experience, having worked with both Australia and England. He was part of England’s coaching setup when they won the T20 World Cup in 2022 and served as the Chennai Super Kings’ long‑time batting coach under Fleming in the Indian Premier League. He also led Welsh Fire in this year’s Hundred.

"Mike has been a highly valued part of our staff in the past and brings a considerable skill set which is complementary to the coaches and players," said Australian head coach Andrew McDonald. "Not only is his expertise as a player and coach across multiple formats, competitions, and countries invaluable, so are his qualities as a person."