A YEAR after being dumped and derided as batting basket case, Test No.3 Phil Hughes is set to become Australia's million-dollar, go-to man across all formats.

As Mike Hussey begins a summer goodbye, Hughes is destined to become Australia's new "Mr Cricket" in 2013 -- integral to Australia's Test hopes in India, then England and a pivotal limited-overs pacesetter.



Hughes, 24, will earn promotion to Cricket Australia's 17-man contract list, which included retiring Ricky Ponting and Hussey among just five specialist batsmen for 2012-13.



Annual CA base deals are worth $230,000, but a chosen few playing all forms like opener David Warner and now keeper Matthew Wade can rake in minimum $1m deals.



All-rounder Shane Watson currently features across all forms, but his suspect body is jeopardising a $5m annual income from CA and the Indian Premier League plus endorsements.



Filling the Hussey void will be difficult -- averaging 51 over 71 Tests, 48 in 185 one-dayers and 37 across 38 Twenty20 starts for Australia -- but national selectors hope Hughes is their man.



Hughes dramatically enhanced his scoring arc in a definitive stint with County side Worcestershire this winter, boasting a T20 average of 100 and making 498 one-day runs at 83.



Left-hander Hughes has 323 one-day runs at 80.7 for South Australia this season, including a maiden Ryobi Cup ton against Tasmania for a career average of 48.92 over 61 List A games.



"This summer, I have been the most consistent I have been across all forms," said Hughes, who crunched a match-winning 74 from 48 balls in the Strikers' Big Bash League opener against Perth Scorchers for a BBL record of 399 runs at 40 and strike-rate of 119 which correlates with a Champions League average of 40 over six games for New South Wales.



"It can be tough, but it is good to score runs in all formats. I have worked hard behind the scenes and look to keep improving.



"The technical change I have made has opened me up to be a lot better one-day cricketer, there is no doubt about that, playing through the leg-side a lot more.



"I am looking to get off strike more and hit all over the ground."



Australia will host one-day and T20 series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies this summer, with Hughes expected to be front and centre in a remarkable cricketing revival having been dropped in the aftermath of a poor Test series against New Zealand in December 2011.



"I haven't played a one-day game for Australia and hopefully one day I do," said Hughes, who has already scored 20 first-class tons.



However, he won't permit himself to think about Ashes redemption next year in the Old Dart after being axed as an opener in 2009.



Hughes is intent on negotiating the summer and passage to India where a first Test in Delhi awaits him on February 22.



"A lot of people talk about the Ashes, but from my perspective it is about making the most of my opportunities and not thinking too far down the track," he said.



The cash resister won't stop ringing at $14,000 a Test, $5600 a one-day match and $4200 for T20 internationals if Hughes prospers across a hectic home schedule then tours to India, England and another Ashes series Down Under in late 2013.



There is also the prospect of an IPL contract which would further inflate Hughes's earning potential.



TOP AUSTRALIAN CRICKET EARNERS



$6.5m Michael Clarke



$5m Shane Watson



$4.5m Ricky Ponting (retired)



$2m David Warner



$2m - Mike Hussey (retiring)



$1m - Phil Hughes (estimated)



*Annual salaries include CA, IPL, endorsements

