Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey, who is nicknamed Mr Cricket, has passed on his tag to Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan, saying the offspinner deserves it because of his work ethics. "I'm not a big fan of it, actually, because I feel that there are several cricketers out there who play the game better than I do. In my opinion, Muttiah Muralitharan is the real Mr Cricket because of the way he approaches the sport,” Hussey told a website.

Chennai have been the most successful team in IPL history with two championships. Hussey says having a mix of top class international and local players is what makes them a good team. “Our team has a great mix of international and local players that's helped us do well in the editions of the IPL. And, all the players approach cricket according to the needs of the team. For instance, there's [Subramaniam] Badrinath who is being used as a floater. He could open but could also come in the middle order, depending on the needs of the situation.

The 36-year-old also praised India batsman Sachin Tendulkar for recording the extraordinary feat of 100 international tons. "Well, I'm glad that he [Sachin] didn't hit his hundredth one against Australia! He's a fantastic player and he richly deserves all his hundreds.”

His younger brother David is playing for Kings XI Punjab and has played a key role in the team’s revival of late after a poor start. Michael wished him luck. "He's a great cricketer and would like his team [Punjab] to win. But I play for Chennai and I'll give my best for it. We might be brothers off the field but we're enemies on it!"