England and Australia are reportedly competing to secure the services of former Australian batter Mike Hussey ahead of next summer’s Ashes series.
Hussey has emerged as a potential candidate for England’s batting coach position after newly appointed Test head coach Stephen Fleming approached him about joining his coaching staff.
The pair share a strong working relationship after previously working together at Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL), strengthening England’s hopes of bringing the former Australia international into their setup.
Hussey, who played 79 Tests for Australia, revealed last week that Fleming had spoken to him about the role.
However, the 51-year-old said he had not yet been able to properly consider the proposal due to his commitments with Welsh Fire in The Hundred.
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Australia have now reportedly entered the race for Hussey’s services, with Sydney-based Code Sports reporting that Cricket Australia (CA) has also reached out to the former batter.
According to the report, Australia are making a determined effort to keep Hussey involved with their setup as they look to address concerns surrounding their batting ahead of the Ashes.
England, meanwhile, are understood to be confident of securing Hussey, with his existing relationship with Fleming viewed as a major factor in their favour.
The potential appointment would also see Hussey return to the England setup. He previously worked with the team as a short-term batting consultant during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia, where Jos Buttler’s side went on to lift the title.
Mike Hussey enjoyed a highly successful international career with Australia, scoring 6,235 Test runs at an average of 51.52, alongside more than 5,400 ODI runs.
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