Hussain Quits!

[Trigger]

Michael Vaughan has been appointed as England's new Test captain after Nasser Hussain stood down.

Hussain will keep his place in the team for the second Test against South Africa at Lord's after the selectors named an unchanged XI in the wake of the drawn first Test.

But Hussain, 35, claimed he had "grown tired" of being skipper, only five months after quitting the one-day captaincy following England's World Cup exit.

Hussain revealed he felt the time was right to hand over the baton to Vaughan, who also replaced him in the one-day job.

He said: "I feel it is coming to a slight change in era.

"I think Michael Vaughan has shown in the last few months that he is a very capable leader and that's what I have been waiting for. There are some good lads playing under him and the last thing they want is a tired leader.

"It's not the sort of job where you just take the cash and plod on and stand at mid-off. I've always felt it's the sort of job where you have to give it everything.

"It's time for change. After last winter the stuff that went on off the field and on the field in Australia there were a lot of difficult times.

"I've tried to play these mental games but I found myself out there on Thursday not the kind of captain I wanted."

Hussain added: "I never felt I had lost the team. I never walked out on the field without everyone's support."

Asked why he had taken the decision to quit as captain now, he said: "A lot of stuff has been written and spoken. I have always had 100 per cent support. It has been nice to have had them (the players) behind me."

 

[Tooting Gull]

I think this is a really weird one, he hasn't given an adeqaute explanation for his decision, there's probably more to it (player revolt?) and the whole thing smacks of Keegan canning the England job at the beginning of a qualifying campaign. You don't resign one match onto a series without a very good reason, he should either have gone earlier and given Vaughan the whole series, or stuck it out.

 

[Billy Seagull]

Wahey - we won't have to put up with his constant field changes now

A strange time to announce it though - perhaps he jumped before he was pushed ??

 

[brighton rock]

good to see a change

 

[Marc]

what a wanker in my opinion:
Firstly as Tooting said you dont quit one match into a test series and 2 days before the next one starts, he should've quit long before this match and given Vaughan time to prepare as a test captain and quit the England setup altogether.
He did seem to get pissed off with the players today and even had a go at the groundsman by the looks of it...maybe he's just stressed up - either he should've gone awhile back

Good Luck Vaughan anyway I'm sure you'll do a great job....not that he reads this board or anything

 

[Wozza]

Is this about Cricket?

 

[Sitting Room Only]

It does, as Tooting suggested, 'smack of Keegan'. Resigning straight after a match with only three days to prepare for the next one.

I think he'll struggle to get in the side now, I saw give Robert Key or another youngster a go. Hussien hasn't looked comfortable for 2 years.

 

[gazza]

I think he saw how the players enjoyed Vaughan's captaincy in the one dayers and felt he was losing the dressing room, hopefully the captaincy won't affect Vaughan's batting............

 

[Sitting Room Only]

dotdotdot indeed

 

[Pavilionaire]

It's interesting that this has happened within a week of Stewart deciding to retire from Tests.

Firstly, Hussain had been in reasonable form with the bat in his last few matches, and secondly he has been quoted in the press as being up for this series, not having had the burden of the one-day captaincy.

I think that Hussain knows the rest of the team see Vaughan as the real leader so, in a sense, he has lost the dressing room.

The time is right for a change, Hussain was a good captain who has helped the team improve and who dealt with the Zimbabwe / Thorpe issues extremely well.

I hope he scores a ton in the next test - I think he'll need to just to keep his place in the side, although another failure could see Thorpe return to the squad.

 

[CAFC Matt]

AT BLOODY LAST

 

[Pevenseagull]

I have it on no particular authority that Nasser Hussain has very bad halitosis

In the wake of the bowling on thursday and friday, an unchanged squad of 12 and with a change of captain where will Kirtley be playing this week ?

Club v country concerns ! - I guess this is how it feels to be Arsenal supporter (apart from not being a complete )

 

[Gwylan]

I too fear that Kirtley will be missing for the Surrey game but Thorpe might well replace Hussain as well.

Our attack could consist of Taylor and Hutchinson; looks pretty lightweight to me.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

I can't believe people are giving Nasser a hard time. IMHO he's the best captain we've had in 20 years & possibily longer. We've gone from being the worst team in the world to a team who I think will beat South Africa. The guy deserves a huge slap on the back & some respect for what he's achieved. Whoever takes over is onto a loser - at best he'll match Nasser's achievements

 

[Reading Posh]

Agreed Stumpy, Nasser & Fletcher have transformed England from a laughing stock to the point where we're disappointed when we don't bowl out SA in a day.

Keegan's resignation was gutless and left England in the lurch, but Hussain could see that the team had trouble switching between two captains and did the honourable thing because there was a replacement ready to take his place.

I just hope Vaughan's form doesn't suffer as a result.

 

[CHAPPERS]

Good decision, Vaughn is now the natural leader of the England side, especially since Hussain has completely lost it with the bat. The players that are coming through the ranks now will need stability over the coming years and with Hussain at an age where he won't be playing too much more international cricket it was the right choice to resign now.
I don't care that it is straight after the first test, Hussain with still take a very senior role in the side and help Vaughn get used to test captaincy for the rest of the summer then he will retire from test cricket entirely.

Incidentally the side for the next test will be the same with Kirtley and Key on standby, meaning Kirtley will miss at least one day of the Surrey game.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

With reference to Kirtley and the 2nd test... all the information you need is in the original article.

selectors named an unchanged XI

That's an 11 not 12. So James wil be with Sussex tomorrow.

Also - how can anyone suggest that Fat Boy Key be given a chance !! He's had a few, and failed each time. I understand he likes a few , which explains why he's such a fat useless c**t.

Papa

 

[CHAPPERS]

With reference to Kirtley and the 2nd test... all the information you need is in the original article.



That's an 11 not 12. So James wil be with Sussex tomorrow.


Papa

But Kirtley is on injury standby meaning he may be kept on until thursaday morning.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Is that a fact, or have you just made that bit up... ?

 

[CHAPPERS]

Not made it up, Kirtley and Key are both on injury standby, seriously. I will try to find hard evidence...

Can't find anything about the stanby players,it all about hussain but at the moment we will be without Innes and Lewry and if Kirtley is needed by England our bowling attack will be Taylor, Hutchison, Martin Jenkins and Hopkinson.

Ambrose undergoes a fitness test today.