Roped in as consultant by South Africa, Mike Hussey says he would love to be a full time mentor
South Africa are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for a maiden global championship. Forever bogged down by the 'chokers' tag, the Proteas have roped in former Australia batsman Michael Hussey as a consultant during the World Cup.
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with the South African team at the World Cup," Hussey told dna on Thursday. "I am flattered, actually. They would like me to help them. I am going to join them on a part-time basis. I will help them with their training and attend a couple of team meetings. I probably will not be there with them on match days," added the Perth-based left-hander who retired from international cricket in early 2013.
Hussey, who is still a top draw in the Big Bash League as well as the Indian Premier League, hopes to become a full-time coach some day. "It (coaching) is something I am interested in, for sure. I enjoy building a rapport with the younger players, see how they talk and think about the game. I would like to help them and use my experience along the way. I have, sort of, done a little bit of coaching with the Australia 'A' team as well as our academy (and high-performance) teams over here. Now, I am looking forward to working with the South African team," he said.
Hussey, who averaged 51 in 79 Tests and 48 in 185 ODIs, also reacted to a recent report of MS Dhoni wanting him to take over from Duncan Fletcher as Team India's head coach. For the record, Hussey and Dhoni shared the Chennai Super Kings dressing room. "It's so flattering that MS would think of me as the next coach of the Indian team," Hussey said. He, however, made it clear that nobody from the BCCI had sounded him out. Well, Fletcher looks set to leave after the World Cup. So, this is not the last time we'll hear of Hussey being in contention for the top job.
In the meanwhile, South Africa coach Russell Domingo was quoted, as saying, that Hussey's presence will benefit the team at the World Cup. "He's a middle-order batter of immense experience and knows the Australian conditions very well. He'll play a very low-key role in the background."
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