Mr Cricket

by Michael Hussey

  I struggled through the innings until I batted with Stuart MacGill. I loved batting with the tail, playing cat and mouse with the West Indians and eeking out as many runs as I could for the team.

  MCG, Test 2 v South Africa

  My dream in life was to play in a Boxing Day test. So to get there was a huge thrill – but to score a century was beyond belief. It was even more significant to me as Kerry Packer passed away the previous day and I thought about him often during my innings. He was a pioneer in the development of the game. Again I felt as though I struggled through much of my innings until I was joined at the crease by Glenn McGrath. We put on a hundred run partnership and really annoyed the South Africans. Glenn showed so much courage and concentration to survive as long as he did and I am forever in his debt.

  Chittagong, Test 2 v Bangladesh

  My innings was completely overshadowed by Jason Gilllespie’s double hundred. I could not really believe how well he batted and batted and batted. What I do remember is how hot it was and how impressed I was with Jason’s application and concentration for such a long period of time and in such oppressive conditions. It was really pleasing to score a century away from home and play my part in another Test win for Australia.

  WACA, Test 3 v England

  I had a feeling it was my day. I made a few errors during my innings and they did not cost me my wicket. Normally in Test cricket, if you make one mistake, you’re gone. It felt as if it was meant to be – to score a ton on my home ground in front of my family and friends in the biggest series of my life. I was so pleased that my family was there to witness me score a Test hundred. I feel they are a huge part of any success I have had. It was a very special day.

  Brisbane, Test 1 v Sri Lanka

  I was very nervous coming into this Test because I’d incurred a hamstring injury at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and had played only two grade games and two games for WA since. I didn’t score many runs in those games and felt extremely underdone. Additionally, I hadn’t been batting at number four for Australia for long and was concerned about how I could contend with Murali from the moment I came to the wicket.

  The battle with Murali became absorbing. I could hear the ball fizzing down the pitch each time he bowled. I was concentrating extremely hard and managed to pick most of his deliveries. But Murali has great variation and accuracy and put me under pressure virtually every ball. He is a champion bowler and to score a hundred against him in a Test match is one of the most satisfying feelings I have ever had in my career.

  This innings gave me plenty of confidence and eased my fears about my fitness and form. Michael Clarke and I shared a big partnership and complemented each other really well. He kept talking to me and kept me very focused on batting for as long as I could.

  Hobart, Test 2 v Sri Lanka

  My confidence was high coming into the match and the pitch was great for batting. But you begin the game on zero, so again I was nervous about getting a start. Phil Jaques was batting brilliantly when I came in, which took a bit of pressure off. I just felt as though this was my day. Sure enough everything I tried turned to gold. I did have a little luck along the way, but was thrilled to bring up my hundred in the last over of the day. That was a great relief because it saved me a sleepless night!

  But that definitely wasn’t the end of my task. I gave a lot of thought that evening to how I could go on to make a really big score, even perhaps a double hundred. I was very motivated the following day and had planned out exactly how I was going to do it. The plan was to pay a lot of attention to the first hour and build up towards cashing in later in the day. After battling hard and getting through that first hour I was very disappointed to make a mistake and be dismissed for 132. It felt as though a big opportunity had slipped by. Nevertheless, I was still very happy to score another Test century.

  Sydney, Test 2 v India

  My second innings century against India will always be overshadowed by the controversy that followed when Anil Kumble accused Australia of not playing in the spirit of the game.

  Despite this, there are a couple reasons why this is the most satisfying innings of my career. We were under extreme pressure when I came to the wicket, as the scores were about level and we were already two wickets down. The pitch was turning and eleven chirpy Indians were letting me know how hard it was in the middle. Also, we West Australians are often accused of being ordinary against spin. Therefore, to score a century against Kumble and Harbhajan on a fourth and fifth day SCG pitch – and put Australia into a position of strength in the Test match – was extremely satisfying. I vividly remember looking up at the packed old SCG grandstands, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd when I brought up my ton and thinking ‘Wow, how good is this!’

  Success means different things to different people, but I believe it’s something that changes as you grow and experience new challenges.

  Life is about setting small goals and reaching them one by one. If you can carry yourself with dignity and be loyal to your true nature throughout that process, you can hold your head high. I have a wife I love dearly and three beautiful children. That was a goal I set myself and have achieved. In that area of my life, I feel successful. But will I feel like a success when I’m 65 and my kids have grown up and got on with their lives? Where will I be then? How will I feel? The end result isn’t the only thing that matters. The steps along the way matter too. If you can move through life, setting small goals and realising them, while maintaining a sense of satisfaction and integrity – I believe that, in most cases – life will be kind to you. Warney might not have been a pretty picture, standing there nearly starkers with a fag in hand that morning in Brisbane, but his advice was spot-on.

  CHAPTER 2

  BUILDING CONFIDENCE

  It’s one thing to get your hands dirty from hard training. It’s another thing to get your hands dirty as a rookie West Australian batsman – at least in the way Tom Moody had in mind. I used to love going to the WACA to watch my heroes play. Players like Geoff Marsh, Mike Veletta, Graeme Wood, Tom Moody and Justin Langer were my role models. Suddenly I was in the same dressing room as most of these guys. It was 1994/95. I made my debut in the first game of the season as a fill-in for Veletta, who’d been injured, and was 12th man for the following three games. In a short space of time, I’d gone from being a determined but self-doubting teenager to being part of this great team. I was pretty proud of myself.

  I’d been left to observe and learn during those first few games, which was great. But when I was 12th man again, for the game against Victoria at the WACA, far from leaving me alone, the boys gave me an initiation that I will certainly never forget. It very nearly resulted in me having to give the role of 12th man a whole new job description.

  I saw the duty of 12th man as an important one and a chance to be around these great cricketers and learn firsthand what it took to be the best. My job was to run and get their drinks, get their boots, do whatever I could do to help the team. I wanted to do it well and make a good impression on my new teammates.

  However, the environment I’d dreamed about being a part of turned out to be quite different to what I’d imagined. The culture of the WA team back then was not as it is now. It was very much an old school mentality, where the senior guys would give the young blokes a really hard time as part of their initiation. I wasn’t a fan of this practice and in that game against Victoria my view only hardened.

  It started when Moody, a behemoth of a man, called me over.

  ‘Huss,’ he said. ‘I’ve been struggling with a back injury and I’ve got these two pills I need to take.’

  ‘No problem,’ I responded. ‘I’ll grab some water for you to wash them down with.’

  ‘No, no,’ he replied, matter-of-factly, face completely straight. ‘They’re suppositories.’

  I wasn’t sure exactly what suppositories were at that stage. So Tom explained: ‘You need to stick these pills up my bum.’

  He had to be joki
ng, right?

  ‘Come on, Tom. You’re just having a bit of a laugh,’ I squirmed nervously.

  When Justin Langer, who was sitting next to Tom, joined in, I became quite edgy.

  ‘Huss, you’re the 12th man. Get in there and help your bloody teammate out!’ JL squawked.

  Of course, there was no way I could do it. But there was no let-up from the guys. Now it was Daryl Foster’s turn to get in on the act.

  ‘Huss,’ the coach said. ‘You’re the 12th man! You’ve got to do what you’re told!’

  My jaw dropped as big Tom grabbed me by the hand and started dragging me towards the toilets. I was beside myself by this stage. This could not be happening! Thankfully, everyone burst out laughing just as I was about to start screaming and that was the end of it.

  It’s a funny story to tell nowadays, I suppose. But it wasn’t so funny at the time. In fact, for some years I wondered why some of the blokes in the WA team felt that that sort of initiation was the best way to welcome a young player to the team. It was an experience that spoke volumes about my first full season in first-class cricket. The older guys gave me hell and really made me earn my stripes. Even at training they would be very tough. If you dropped a catch they’d give you a big dressing down and let you know that you had a long way to go to become a valued part of the group. I wanted to cement my place in the team and, considering I already had a few issues with confidence, I wasn’t so sure that that was the ideal way to bring out my best.

  I became quite introverted during that season and, instead of employing the lessons in teamsmanship I’d learned during a great year at the Australian Cricket Academy, I started to concentrate only on my game. I had plenty on my plate trying to score runs for WA and decided to focus on that instead of trying to win over the guys in the team. I knew I had a long way to go in cricketing terms to make sure I remained in the squad and I became more dedicated than ever to achieving that before anything else.

  I PLAY BEST WHEN I AM:

  Focused, relaxed, not under pressure, feet moving, rehearsing, watching the ball, being positive, assessing the situation.

  Just relax myself and re-focus on the job, take a few DEEP BREATHS.

  There were some tricky times that season and it was very challenging to stay focused. Some days I’d come home, lie on my bed and wonder why I was bothering at all. I felt like I was getting blasted every time I did something even half wrong. I was working hard and doing the right things, but still kept copping it. These guys were my teammates and I respected them for their skills and what they had achieved in cricket. But the dynamic of the team left me a bit confused.

  The following season I scored a few runs, which helped a little to break down a few walls. But what helped me most to integrate was the arrival of Ryan Campbell. In 1995–96 I was the only young guy in the WA team. But now I had a buddy. What’s more, a buddy who wore an earring and exuded confidence. I knew the young, brash Cambo would be perfect prey for the old guys in the team and, soon enough, their attention shifted away from me and they started tearing into him. They gave him a torrid time.

  RYAN CAMPBEL

  I first laid eyes on this skinny and geeky looking kid when we got picked for a WA colts team. Mike’s reputation was pretty impressive and the talk was that he was going to be something special. If his attitude to the game was anything to go by, he was on the right track from an early age. He was one of the biggest cricket nerds you could ever meet. He would spend most of his time talking about cricket – and boring people senseless in the process. He lived cricket, breathed it and probably dreamt about it. In fact, young Mike loved the game so much that he made a name for himself at the Australian Cricket Academy the year after I left by becoming the only scholar to complain to Rod Marsh that they weren’t being worked hard enough!

  As he got older, little changed. He continued to analyse everything about every game he took part in. He knew what bowlers he would be coming up against and thought about how they would bowl to him. When we first batted together for WA, I was totally unprepared because our coach Wayne Clark hadn’t told me that Huss and I would be batting together. But he had told Huss and on the morning of the match, Huss pulled me aside and presented me with two pieces of A4 paper on which were written detailed plans about how we should set about taking on our opponents. He wanted to go through all the things he believed we needed to do to be a success. I must be honest and say it all confused me a bit at the time and my final comment to him – ‘How about we just get to 10 as quickly as possible’ – raised his eyebrows a little. But to his credit, he quickly adapted to my style of going about things (slightly more laid-back!) and I adapted to his.

  I guess we became pretty successful for WA. But he wasn’t thought of all that highly around the country. There was talk among the other teams that Huss should be kept on strike as it would build frustration in whoever he was batting with. This was a time when he wasn’t blessed with all the shots. In response, though, the ‘worker’ clicked in again. Huss spent his off-season not only working in the gym, but working on his game. He stuck to that approach every off-season and pretty much added a new shot or two every break we had. Firstly it was the cut, then the pull, then this shot, then that shot, until he had them all.

  Having all the shots has helped Mike greatly in one-day cricket. But it wasn’t just his stroke play that was so good. One day in Melbourne when we had some big-name injuries Mike was called in to fill a ‘Bevan’ type role for the team. History will show that he made a ton in that match and, in my opinion, he out Bevan-ed Michael Bevan. His shots were great, but his running between the wickets was incredible. Next time you watch a game look at Huss run between wickets. There is never an easily run single – he’s always scampering up the pitch to put pressure on the fielders.

  Mike’s success is a result of his willingness to work hard to get results. In fact this love of hard work was perfectly demonstrated when we were both given a weekend off club cricket. We had both been through a hectic schedule of WA and Australia-A games when Wayne Clark gave us time off. My idea of a break was spending it at the beach and having a soothing beer with some buddies. Huss spent his day in the Wanneroo indoor centre with his batting coach batting for six hours. ‘How can I bat all day if I haven’t done it before?’ was his reasoning. Who could argue?

  I’m not surprised in the least that Mr Cricket has been so successful so quickly at the top level. But there is one thing I still can’t get my head around: Was this skinny little kid from Mullaloo Beach the smashing and dashing Australian batsman who hit the Telstra Dome roof in a one-day international match? Now that’s just wrong!

  Cambo and I have never spoken in depth about those early years, but not long ago I confronted Tom about it and it was only after discussing it with him that I was able to better understand why the guys had given me a hard time. I let Tom know that he and the others had made things quite difficult for me and that it probably didn’t have the desired effect. I was never going to be lazy or slack in my approach to playing first-class cricket. I was always going to be a hard worker and felt that a more encouraging environment would have been better for my type of character. Tom agreed, but explained that he wanted me to know that I had an important role to play in the team. He said that the guys were very proud of representing their state and they wanted all young players coming into the team to understand what a privilege it was to play first-class cricket for WA.

  Tom is back with the WA team as state coach and the way he runs the show centres a lot more positively on helping out the younger guys and building their confidence. Tom’s approach now is to work hard to get the best out of them. He manages and understands each player’s personality and new players are therefore able to settle into the team more. Things have changed quite a lot since I first joined the state squad.

  But it’s not just inexperienced players who need to be fostered in such a manner. The more I’ve learned about professional cricketers and sportspeople in general in recen
t years, the more I’ve realised that the image of us being fearless and confident is sometimes off the mark. Not that the public could be blamed for having such a perception. We travel the world representing our country, getting well rewarded for expressing our talents and doing something we love. We often look a picture of health and spend a lot of time celebrating success, with our chests out and our heads held high. But you would be surprised how many top sportspeople have spent years and years learning to overcome their fears, the kind of fears most people have in their everyday lives: fear of failure, fear of what others think of you or fear of being overwhelmed. If you’ve made it to playing for the Australian cricket team, chances are you’ve gone a long way to dealing with those problems effectively and in a way that works for you. But I know for a fact that some of the cricketers who appear most confident have to work very hard to stay positive and beat their insecurities. I am certainly one of them.

  Recently I was thinking about different points in my career in the search for a time that I could, perhaps in retrospect, feel satisfied. Surprisingly, I found that the time I felt most comfortable in myself – and possibly, therefore, most successful – was shortly after I experienced my worst moment in cricket.

  MICHAEL HUSSEY

  FIRST CLASS STATISTICS

  I put an increasing amount of pressure on myself throughout the late 1990s, desperate to progress past state level and play for my country. I’d had four or five good seasons for WA, in which I’d scored over 900 runs each, but hadn’t got an opportunity to play for Australia. I felt like I was doing everything I could: training hard, scoring runs – ticking all the boxes. But the guys who were in the Test team were all playing so well and opportunities were hardly ever available.