Hussey is the man Australia turn to

Group A: Australia (world ranking: 2), South Africa (1), Scotland, The Netherlands

RICKY Ponting may be the captain and Glenn McGrath may be the oldest player. But the real heartbeat of Australia's one-day team is Mike Hussey (below).

The man known as Mr Cricket has become the new saviour of Australia's one-day team, replacing Michael Bevan as the player they turn to in times of crisis.

Like Bevan, Hussey is at his best when the pressure is really on - batting with the tail, chasing a target that seems out of reach.

While others panic, Hussey stays calm. He discovers new ways to keep the scoreboard ticking along, smashing the ball over the fence or threading it through the narrowest of gaps in the field to scamper through for a single.

The 31-year-old is a quiet man but his exploits have not gone unnoticed. He was named by the International Cricket Council last year as the world's best one-day player.

He is currently the top batsman. From 61 one-day internationals, he has scored 1,739 runs - an average of 66.88 and a strike rate of 91.33. He has also captained his country four times in the absence of Ponting and his deputy, Adam Gilchrist.

The left-hander was not selected for Australia's one-day team until he was 28. He had scored more than 15,000 first-class runs before he made his Test debut, when Justin Langer broke a rib.

Hussey set a record for the fastest player to chalk up 1,000 Test runs. He reached the milestone 166 days after his debut.

Bevan played a key role in Australia's wins at the last two World Cups. Ponting says Hussey could be the player to give his team the edge this time.

'He has certainly stepped into the Michael Bevan role,' Ponting said.

'He has managed to win us a lot of games off his own bat - whether it be Test matches, making hundreds batting with the tail, or controlling one-day games.'

REUTERS