Michael Hussey: “I’d Be 5,000 Runs Ahead of Sachin Tendulkar If I Played Earlier”

Former CSK star Michael Hussey claimed that, had he played earlier, he could have scored 5,000 more runs than Sachin Tendulkar.

Former Australian batter Michael Hussey reflected on how starting his international career earlier could have seen him surpass Sachin Tendulkar by 5,000 runs. Hussey, who scored 12,398 runs at an average of 49, including 22 centuries in 302 matches across formats, made his international debut at 28. Despite the late start, he achieved major milestones, featuring in Australia’s 2007 ODI World Cup-winning squad and the 2006 and 2009 Champions Trophy-winning teams.

“I’ve thought about it a lot. I’d probably be about 5,000 runs past Sachin Tendulkar, the leading run-scorer in the game. Most centuries, most wins, most Ashes wins, and the most World Cup wins, probably all those things. And then, unfortunately, I wake up in the morning and it’s just a dream. I would have loved an opportunity earlier, but the good thing for me was that when I got picked, I had a great understanding of my game,” said Hussey on The Grade Cricketer YouTube Channel.

Notably, a strong Australian lineup in the late 1990s and early 2000s delayed his international debut. Hussey amassed 6,235 Test runs and 5,442 ODI runs, trailing Sachin Tendulkar by nearly 10,000 and 13,000 runs respectively. Tendulkar leads with 15,921 Test runs and 18,426 ODI runs.

In T20Is, Hussey outscored Tendulkar with 721 runs, as the Indian legend played only one match. Hussey finished his international career 78 centuries behind Tendulkar.