Michael Hussey Joins Australia's Coaching Group Ahead of the 2027 Ashes

Australia have appointed Michael Hussey as a long-term batting consultant, a role that will run through the 2027 Ashes and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Australia announced the appointment on 6 November 2026, according to Reuters.

A consultant is an outside expert who advises a team on one area without being a full-time member of the coaching staff. Hussey, who is 51, is a former Australia batter who played 79 Test matches, 185 one-day internationals and 38 T20s for his country. He has worked for Australia on a number of short-term batting roles in recent years, but this appointment is longer.

The reason is the team's recent batting form. Australia drew 1-1 at home with Bangladesh and lost 2-1 in South Africa in their last two Test series. Reuters reports that the appointment is aimed at tackling batting weaknesses before the Ashes, the long-running Test rivalry with England. A Test is the five-day format of the game.

Hussey's own record is strong. He did not play Test cricket until he was 30, breaking into the side after the 2005 Ashes. He retired from international cricket in early 2013 with an average of 51.52 in Tests, a figure that puts him among the most productive batters of his era. During a stretch when Australia lost two Ashes series, he scored 846 Test runs at an average of 49.76, second only to Alastair Cook of England, according to Cricket Australia.

He also has a trophy cabinet to match. He was part of the Australia squad that won the 50-over World Cup in 2007, and the Champions Trophy in 2006 and 2009. Later he worked as a batting consultant for England in 2022, when they won the T20 World Cup in Australia. He has coached in franchise leagues too, and is currently head coach of Welsh Fire in The Hundred, the 100-ball competition in England and Wales. He has also worked with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League under coach Stephen Fleming.

The work starts quickly. Hussey will join Australia for a five-match T20 series against England, beginning on 21 November. The final game is on 2 December. ESPNcricinfo reports that he will also act as a T20 adviser alongside his wider role.

After that, the calendar fills up. Australia host New Zealand for four Tests, then travel to India for a five-match Test series. A one-off Test against England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground starts on 11 March, marking 150 years of Test cricket. The five-Test Ashes runs from 18 June to 2 August.

Beyond the Ashes, Hussey will work with Australia at the 50-over World Cup in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe in October and November 2027. The 2028 T20 World Cup will be held in Australia and New Zealand in October and November that year. The Los Angeles Olympics will host the first cricket competition at the Games in 128 years, and Hussey will help Australia prepare for it.

There is one unusual thread to the story. In August 2026, Hussey said he would consider a role helping England with their batting for the Ashes. That option has now given way to a job with Australia. For now, the focus for Australia is the T20 series against England, where Hussey's first work with the squad will be seen.

Australia's head coach is Andrew McDonald. The Ashes will be the first big test of whether Hussey's advice can turn a batting slump into a run of form.