Nasser Hussain was one of the most significant captains in the history of the England team. When he was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2003, Scyld Berry wrote this revealing portrait.
Nasser Hussain has always been too intense to inspire mass affection. Like Nick Faldo, or Steve Redgrave, or other English sportsmen suspected of being obsessive, he has inspired respect instead. In his four years as England’s captain, Hussain should have inspired gratitude too. Last winter, in the first three Ashes Tests, England were a rowing-boat overwhelmed by the mountainous waves of Australian cricket. Almost every touring side had capsized against Steve Waugh’s team in Australia; but Hussain, a beleaguered skipper if ever there was, kept England afloat.
He thought his seamers had matured to the extent that he could send Australia in at Brisbane and give his bowlers best use of the pitch; he admitted his mistake long before the match ended in massive defeat. By the Third Test in Perth he was considering his position, not for the first or last time, but in the darkest hour he pushed himself as hard as ever. While England were lucky that Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were both injured, they still had to be in good enough shape to take advantage. After the Sydney Test, Hussain received “a really nice e-mail” from Gough, which meant a lot as an expression of esteem from his peers.
After the World Cup he retired as England’s one-day captain, sensibly deciding to concentrate on Test cricket. By then his wish to be remembered as “a decent leader of men” had already been fulfilled. The only dispute is whether he has been the equal of Mike Brearley as the best England captain since World Series Cricket; or, as their fellow-captain David Gower believes, even better, in more troubled times. To have been captain of England for four years, the most stressful job in cricket, is an achievement in itself. To leave the team better off than when he started, doubly so.
