Hussey overjoyed at ACB contract

Dashing left hand Western Warriors opener Mike Hussey was this morning officially notified that he has won a 12 month contract with the ACB.

Fresh from a meeting elsewhere, Mike Hussey was positively beaming as he took his seat at the WACA this afternoon for a press conference. Being one of 25 Australian cricketers to be contracted this for this coming Australain cricket season, Mike was not surprisingly realistic about his prospects but overjoyed to say the least.

Prior to this meeting, Michael had received a congratulatory phone call from fellow Western Australian opener Ryan Campbell and had just enough time to ring his family and let them in on the good news. "I think they were quite chuffed." he said.

Mike said that he had always had it at the back of his mind that he wanted a contract, but was nonetheless suprised when it finally happened.

The available positions for openers in Australia's premier team has caused a bit of a log jam. Mike concedes "The players who have won contracts are really great players who make a lot of runs and who deserve to be right up there at the top."

This will undoubtably make it tough for the 25 year old to gain a permanent place, but will serve as motivation. It is a big step up for the Wanneroo captain.

Although he has just completed a teaching degree and was looking for some relief teaching during the off season, cricket is for Mike Hussey is pretty much a full time job. His contract will not change him or his circumstances a great deal. "I would play for nothing." He said, "I know everyone would say that, but I see this as a little stepping stone towards my ultimate goal, that I have had since I was a little boy, of getting the baggy green cap and playing in a test match." "Cricket these days is becoming more and more professional, even at the state level. It is pretty tough and pretty time demanding, so I am pretty much a full time cricketer now."

The contract which officially starts on the 1st of July 2000, makes the contracted player more valuable in many ways other than just the contract itself. Hussey will continue to receive earnings from the WACA. But the prestege that is attached to a contract with the ACB may bring with it revenue from promotions such at equipment endorsement and product advertising. There may even be interest from overseas. "I would love to play county cricket. That has been another one of my goals for a long time." "I would jump at the chance to play first class cricket in England, I have always wanted to do it and hopefully in the future I can do it."

Hussey credits his success with the successive years of a great Western Australian team who have played very well over the last 4 or 5 years. Other players from his team, have made it to the top level and their presence when ever they are at home, serves as an inspiration to their yournger team mates. "These guys are a real motivation when you see them playing so passionately for their state."

The road ahead for Michael Hussey is looking brighter. There are elements of his game that still need work. But by and large his acceptance by the ACB is reward for consistency. In seasons past Mike had scored over 900 first class runs from 1994-5 to 1998-9 and an aggregate of 874 at an average of 51.41 from first class appearances in 1999-2000.

Mike Hussey continues to mine a rich seam of runs in a career that has thrown up 12 first class centuries and 22 first class fifties. He is but a couple of games away from reaching the 5000 runs milestone in first class cricket.