'Happily retired' Hussey, Ponting rule out Oz comeback for Ashes
Sydney, Mar 20 : Retired Australian batsmen Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey have quashed talks of a Test comeback for the Ashes series this year following team's shambolic failure against India in the ongoing Test series.
A flattered Hussey insisted he has happily retired from Test ranks and won't consider a shock return in time for this year's Ashes series in England, the Herald Sun reports.
Hussey was still at the top of his game when he retired in January, with the 37-year-old plundering 527 Test runs at an average of 75.3 during his final domestic summer.
Mr. Cricket said it extremely flattering when asked about Australian coach Mickey Arthur's comeback call, adding that he has moved on and he really doesn't want to be back in that pressure-cooker environment, particularly leading into the Ashes.
Hussey added it is going to be an extremely stressful time for all the boys and he is really looking forward to having a winter at home and just having some time with the family and being part of some normal life.
Hussey said people probably take it for granted, but he absolutely loves knowing that he get to come home every day rather than going to another hotel room or another airport, adding he feels very lucky to have been able to leave on his own terms and leave when he wanted to.
Hussey's stance comes as former Australian captain Ponting also ruled out an Ashes comeback.
Receiving the award as Australia's Sheffield Shield player of the year, Ponting said he wasn't contemplating a return after Arthur told media in India his side was missing the former skipper and fellow veteran Hussey, the paper reported.
Ponting said international cricket has long passed him by, adding he was disappointed by the Australian team's performance in the Indian series, which they trail 3-0, but believed they had shown some fight in the third Test loss.