CA admits IPL clause not behind Hussey's extended CSK Champions League stint

Melbourne, Oct 13 (ANI): Cricket Australia has admitted that it was only at its insistence that Michael Hussey stayed with Chennai Super Kings instead of joining teammates in India for the Test series, after it claimed that Hussey's IPL contract did not allow him to leave the Champions League early.

CA had said on Sunday it was a term of his IPL contract that he had to remain. The contract of the IPL allows players to leave their franchise to fulfill international obligations, which Hussey tried to do.

It was only because CA, which has a 25 per cent stake in the Champions League, wanted all stars on board for the tournament, The Age reports.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland took responsibility for the decision on Tuesday, and said the situation became complicated after the series in India was switched from seven one-dayers to two Tests and three one-dayers, which meant the team had to arrive in India much earlier.

"Michael Hussey made it clear to CA before and during the CLT20 that his strong preference and preferred intention was to leave earlier than the final to prepare for the Test series in India and it was only because of our requirement and the performance of his franchise that he stayed until the end of the CLT20 final," Sutherland said.

"Michael had nothing but the best intentions of preparing for and playing for his country as his absolute priority, but there was a fine balance between a high-profile, elite club T20 competition and preparing for international cricket," he said.

"Cricket is lucky to have three strong formats and it is important to us that all three formats continue to prosper. In this case, the scheduling was difficult, particularly after the decision to play Tests in the current series, and it is a fact of life that scheduling of elite cricket - which we have sometimes described as being as difficult as trying to play chess in three dimensions - will create tough decisions from time to time," he added.

Last week, Hussey said he had been forced to remain in South Africa for the Champions League while his Test teammates prepared in Mohali, giving him just two days' preparation before the start of the first Test against India. (ANI)