Mr Cricket returns as Australia strengthen coaching setup

Former Australian batter Mike Hussey has been appointed as a coaching consultant by Cricket Australia, strengthening the national team’s coaching staff ahead of a busy period of international cricket.

The 51-year-old will contribute across multiple formats, working with Australia during the upcoming Ashes series and the ICC Men’s ODI World Cup 2027. He will also serve as a T20 advisor for the Los Angeles Olympics and the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2028.

Hussey will initially join the coaching setup for Australia’s home T20I series against England later this month. He will then assist the team during its four-match Test series against New Zealand before taking on further responsibilities ahead of major international competitions.

His appointment comes after Australia’s recent 2-1 Test series defeat against South Africa, with the team looking to strengthen its batting performances.

Known as ‘Mr Cricket’, Hussey expressed excitement about returning to the Australian setup in a more significant coaching role, saying he hoped to contribute to the team’s continued success during the challenging years ahead.

Interestingly, Hussey had previously been approached informally by England’s newly appointed red-ball coach Stephen Fleming for a Test batting mentor position but declined the opportunity.

Hussey has considerable coaching experience at both international and franchise levels. He was part of England’s coaching staff during their 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph and also worked as batting coach for Chennai Super Kings under Fleming in the Indian Premier League.

More recently, he coached Welsh Fire during the 2026 edition of The Hundred.

During his playing career, Hussey represented Australia in more than 300 international matches across all three formats, earning a reputation as one of the country’s most reliable middle-order batters.

Australia head coach Andrew McDonald welcomed the appointment, praising Hussey’s technical expertise, coaching experience and ability to contribute across different formats and competitions.