After a season of blue, Michael Hussey is back in yellow. He is back with Chennai Super Kings, a team he has had immense success with in the Indian Premier League over the years. You can see he is comfortable, he feels at home. Not much has changed in the CSK camp since he left them. There is continuity in the team culture; most of the other players have been part of the yellow brigade for years now and that relaxes him.

Before beginning his second innings with CSK, Michael Hussey spoke to IPLT20.COM about the dynamics of the team, the unflinching support of the fans and the assuredness that MS Dhoni brings with him.

Happy to be back in yellow? That’s your colour, isn’t it?

It is. It is amazing to be back here. I have a lot of great friends here and so many incredible memories.

Have you had a chat with the coach and captain yet as to whether your role in the team will be any different this time around?

CSK is a team that chalks out a clear role for every player. And they do it keeping in mind the player’s strength as well as what the team requires from him. I haven’t had a specific chat with the management about that yet but whatever role they set for me, I am happy to play it. I know it will be in accordance with my own skills and in which I can serve the team the best.

Stephen Fleming and MS Dhoni form a very astute and calm captain-coach pair. Could you talk a bit about the dynamic of their relationship and how it rubs off on the team?

I think you have summed it up there. They both have very astute cricketing brains and they think very clearly under pressure. As far as their relationship goes, it is very good for them and the team because it is very open and honest. They communicate very clearly with each other and the players. Also, while they are open and sensitive towards each other’s thoughts, things never get too emotional. They maintain that control and balance very well. It has helped create an atmosphere of assuredness in the change room. There is a lot of honesty without the unwanted emotional stress.

CSK is a team that keeps their cards very close to their chest. The massive fanfare they enjoy is solely because of their on-field performance and not on the basis of any glamour or glitz. Does it make you more comfortable being a part of such a unit?

Most definitely. When I play the game I want to be part of a team with a very good environment and I want to win matches. All the other things don’t matter. And at CSK I get that. What I love is that when the team does well, it reflects on the faces of the fans. Those in the stadium make a lot of noise and are behind us all the time. When you see how much happiness you can give them, it motivates you, and you want to win for them.

You have been doing a lot of commentary of late and you have watched the game from the other side of the spectrum. How has that experience been and has it given you a different perspective of the game in any way?

It has made me realize how hard the game is to play. From a commentator’s point of view, the game looks so easy from up there. There is no pressure and no expectations up there. There are none of those doubts, negative thoughts and no nervousness inside your head. As a commentator you need to understand that the players are going through all these things down there and it is an extremely difficult game to play. In the commentary box you do get a better view of the game and can see some things on the field that you wouldn’t as a player. But most of the action happens between the 22 yards and from up there you cannot feel it.

You were involved in the World Cup very closely. There has been a lot spoken about leadership of three men – Dhoni, (Brendon) McCullum and (Michael) Clarke. And you happen to know each of them very well. As a keen observer of the game, could you talk me through the leadership of all three and what separates them from the others?

Clarke is a very positive captain, setting aggressive fields and making bold moves as captain. He always wants the game to move forward all the time, much like McCullum. I haven’t played under McCullum but he too seems like an ultra positive and aggressive captain, always looking to take wickets and making things happen. Dhoni is probably the calmest of the lot. He doesn’t get too flustered and thinks very clearly under pressure. He was backed up magnificently by his bowlers. Sometimes that’s what captaincy comes down to – you look like a good or bad captain depending on how your players respond.

You have come to know MS Dhoni quite well now. Is there any quality of his that Mr. Cricket wishes to imbibe?

I would like his power (laughs). I would love to have his equanimity at the end of the innings. Sometimes, it might look that I have it but I’ll tell you right now that I don’t. MS [Dhoni] is just fantastic to bat with at the end of the innings because he is so cool and he has got it all planned out. He knows exactly what needs to be done to win the game. In a similar situation, I tend to panic a lot, wanting to get it done with as quickly as possible. He is very methodical in breaking down the target into fractions and playing the situation. While I sometimes get nervous thinking, ‘Oh we’re falling behind the rate’, he is very positive all the time saying, ‘No need to worry, we are right on target’ – very assured and very confident throughout.

You did a bit of mentoring this World Cup with South Africa. Is that something you look at as a career option in the long run – may be starting with an IPL team?

Yes, possibly. I must admit I really enjoyed that role. It was a great opportunity to be invited into the South African dressing room. Not too many people get to do that. I was quite honoured and privileged to be there. And I learnt a lot. I learnt so much watching some of their guys prepare and listening to the things they talked about in the team meetings. It was a real eye-opener for me. It is definitely something I would consider doing in the long run. I enjoy building up rapport with players and building relationships based on cricket. I love understanding different players’ and teams’ philosophies on cricket and passing on some of mine as well.