Hussain resigns as Eng ODI captain following WC exit
Tuesday, March 4 2003 20:40 Hrs (IST)

Johannesburg: Nasser Hussain resigned as England's One-day captain in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday following the team's first round exit from the World Cup.

Hussain, who said he intended to take a two-month break from all cricket and wanted to carry on as Test captain, told reporters, "I have twisted and turned.

"I firmly believe that England is a better side with me as captain. But I also believe its time for someone else to come in and be looked at as a future England captain."

Zimbabwe's washed out pool A match against Pakistan in Bulawayo saw England and the Asian giants go out of the World Cup. And Hussain, speaking in Port Elizabeth where England lost its final World Cup Group ‘A’ match against Australia on Sunday, said now was the right time to step down from the One-day captaincy.

"I'm not going to do a Shane Warne and read out something on a piece of paper. I've always spoken from the heart. I believe the time has come to step down as England One-day captain.

"I reiterate that's just for One-day cricket. I am firmly 100 percent dedicated to the Test match side of the game and I would like to carry on as England Test match captain.

"The bottom line is that I'm 35 this month and there must be people out there who can average more than 30 and get a better strike rate than 67," said Hussain referring to his modest One-day International record.

"There must be some good young lads out there who can come in because there's a core of players here that are very fine players who can take England on in the One-day game.

"There must be a good young captain out there who can replace me in the Test match side whenever that might be and it gives the selectors a chance to look at that," said Hussain who added he was quitting One-day International cricket altogether.

"But I'm very keen to carry on in the Test match side of the job. I believe that my team has always responded to me, you only have to look at the last few games. But I also believe that I don't warrant a place in the (One-day) side anymore and I think it's time England moved on.

"I'm a reasonably honourable man and I've always said to you that when I get a gut feeling that a certain thing is the right thing to do I will do it."

Hussain had looked increasingly worn down by the crisis over England's controversial boycott of its World Cup match in Harare - a decision which saw Zimbabwe collect four points for victory by forfeit.

"I'm mentally and physically drained after this winter," said Hussain, also in charge for England's pre-World Cup thrashing in Australia. "I intend to take two months completely off from the game. It's been difficult but everyone in life has difficult things. That's part of the learning curve."

Hussain said he had no regrets about not playing in Zimbabwe. "I was reading in the paper this morning about how fifty people were locked up because they protested at the Holland-Zimbabwe game.

"You just don't know what would have happened if England had gone there and we weren't willing to take that risk. Good luck to Zimbabwe. It has done nothing wrong. I hope it does well.

"But we didn't get through again (England was knocked out at the first round stage on home soil four years ago) and it's very disappointing."

Copyright AFP 2001

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