DAVID Hussey admits it was an “interesting” move by the Melbourne Stars to give him the captaincy in place of Michael Clarke.
One of T20 cricket’s top five runscorers worldwide, 38-year-old Hussey was unveiled on Tuesday by the Stars as their new skipper for the 2015/16 BBL season.
Hussey hopes to fast-track his new deputy and World Cup hero James Faulkner into the captaincy role, following former Test skipper Clarke’s bombshell announcement on September 1 that he needed a break and no longer wanted to play for the Stars this summer.
SPIN KING: Warne to join KP in Big Bash return?
RETIREMENT: Clarke pulls plug on first year with Stars
Hussey says he wants to put some fun back into the game for the Stars, who have crashed out at semi-final stage in the past four BBL seasons.
“It’s an interesting decision by the Melbourne Stars,” Hussey told the Herald Sun.
“James Faulkner’s going to be the vice-captain and he’s going to be a great person to bounce ideas off.
“I’ve also learnt from two great captains before me in Shane Warne and Cameron White.
“In terms of me being captain, it’s a tough one.
“I’m always for never standing in the way of a younger player coming through.
“James Faulkner, hopefully we can work together and maybe he’s going to be a future captain of the Melbourne Stars, maybe next year or the year after.
“I’m really focused on helping the Melbourne Stars. I want to win some silverware.
“It is frustrating. We’ve been semi-finalists every year since the inception of the competition.
This year we have a new coaching staff. Stephen Fleming is going to provide an exciting brand of cricket and hopefully we can go a couple of steps further.”
Hussey played alongside former New Zealand captain Fleming for three seasons at English County side Nottinghamshire.
“We’ve got a very good relationship,” Hussey said.
Fleming says he has huge respect for Hussey the player.
“It’s nice to have a strong Victorian presence as captain,” Fleming told the Herald Sun.
“He has contributed a massive amount to Victorian cricket and certainly to the Stars and to be working with him is quite a key component because I know him so well.”
Hussey’s men open their BBL season on December 18 against the Strikers at Adelaide Oval while the inaugural Women’s BBL kicks off on December 5 when the Stars host the Brisbane Heat twice on one day at Junction Oval.
Stars’ captain Meg Lanning, named in April as Wisden’s Leading Woman Cricketer in the World, says it will take a couple of years for the new league to establish itself.
“There’s eight games televised on Channel Ten so that’s a great start for the first year,” said Lanning, 23.
No comments:
Post a Comment