Recall delights Hussey Jesse Hogan

MOST of Mike Hussey's best work for Australia has been done from the middle order, but he is relishing the chance to prove he is just as effective in the top order before this year's Twenty20 World Cup.

Confirmation that Hussey will be part of Australia's T20I squad in the West Indies, while forecast a month ago by chief selector John Inverarity, was still notable as Hussey had not been chosen in that format since July 2010. That was only a few months after Hussey's phenomenal innings that saved Australia from all but certain defeat in its T20 World Cup semi-final against Pakistan.

Rather than seeing anything sinister in that, the 36-year-old believed his omission from Australia's nine T20IS since then was primarily done to try out new batsmen - which, ironically, he agreed with.

''After the last T20 World Cup I was talking to [then chairman of selectors] Andrew Hilditch and he was saying, 'We know what you can do in T20s, it's an opportunity for us to … have a look at a few other players … but if we had a world cup tomorrow, you'd be strongly considered','' Hussey said.

''I could understand their philosophy - and in some way I agreed as well. You've got to have the faith in them [selec- tors] that they have the faith in you to think you can do the job when called upon.''

While Hussey said he always felt the selectors - primarily the now-departed brigade - had never lost faith in his ability to play in the shortest form of the game, he insisted he had never been guaranteed a return.

''I'm sure if some other guys came in and did really well, they would have stuck with those guys,'' he said.

Hussey's absence from Australia has not greatly reduced his exposure to T20. In that period outside the national team he has played 22 times for Chennai Super Kings - averaging a remarkable 41.26 at a decent strike-rate - and once for Perth Scorchers.