Coach says Hussey slump only temporary

It will not be long before Michael Hussey shows the skills that earned him his one-day average of nearly 60 despite his poor start to the World Cup, according to John Buchanan. Hussey has reached double-figures only once in the Caribbean - in a warm-up game against Zimbabwe when he made 15 - and averages 6.60 from his last five ODIs.

His opportunities have been limited due to the success of Australia's top order but against West Indies Hussey began in the 36th over and struggled only to 9. Buchanan said Hussey was still a potential matchwinner and his mini-slump would not last long.

"He has generally been able to put them away in the past but he has been missing out," Buchanan told the Herald Sun. "Looking at Mike, he is doing all the right things. He is certainly thinking the right way and his mental frame of mind is good."

Hussey averages 58.63 from his 65 ODIs but after the World Cup group matches he lost his ranking as the world's No. 1 limited-overs batsman to Kevin Pietersen. "I don't see it as a small bout of low scores continuing for too long," Buchanan said. "The skill and talent he had before this small bout of low scores is still there."

Hussey said in The Age before the West Indies game he hoped to build a big innings at some point soon. "It would be nice," he said. "I think it's great because it means the guys up the top are doing the job but I would love to come out and whack a few in the middle and hit a few sixes. That's the nature of where I bat.

"I try not to look at the results so much because I'm going to come in in so many different situations. I guess, from a personal point of view, it would be nice to have a longer bat, but I know it's a long tournament and I know there's going to be opportunities and important times when I am going to have to come in and do my job."