LONDON, 28 May 2004 — Former England captain Nasser Hussain announced yesterday he was retiring from all forms of cricket three days after he scored an unbeaten 103 to steer England to a seven-wicket win in the first Test against New Zealand at Lord’s.
He hit 14 centuries and 33 half-centuries in 96 Tests.
The 36-year-old Hussain, who plays for Essex, said he had been thinking over his future since scoring his match-winning century at Lord’s.
The squad for next week’s second Test is due to be named on Sunday.
And with captain Michael Vaughan due to return for the Headingley Test, Hussain said he did not want to hold up anyone else.
Hussain, born in India, was just four appearances short of his 100th Test cap but with Andrew Strauss making 112 and 83 in his debut appearance at Lord’s, he felt it was time to call it a day.
“My time was up,” he said. “The time’s right to go. Age has been catching up with me and my body. The fire in my stomach and my eyes, possibly, had started to deteriorate,” Hussain told Sky Sports, adding that it had been a gradual decision.
“It has been a major decision for me and not one I have taken lightly.”
Hussain, who replaced wicketkeeper Alec Stewart as captain after England’s first round World Cup exit on home soil in 1999, led England in 45 Tests, winning 17, losing 15 and drawing 13, before giving way to Michael Vaughan last July, taking England off the bottom of the world rankings with four successive series wins. He had handed over the One Day captaincy to Vaughan after the 2003 World Cup in South Africa last March.
But he showed there was a lot of fight left with a couple of valuable half-centuries in England’s 3-0 Test series victory in the West Indies which finished in April, their first triumph on Caribbean soil for 36 years.
Now he recognizes that despite being prepared to battle his own shortcomings, he cannot stand in the way of England’s newcomers.
“What I wasn’t prepared to do was go out and fight against youth, not against my own youth but against those coming in,” he said, choking back tears.
Hussain added: “I was willing to fight against that and opposition and the people writing me off, which I have always done.
“But I was not prepared to fight against youth — not my youth but youth in the form of Andrew Strauss who put his hand up and decided to get a lot of runs.
“There are a few other players too like (Rob) Key, (Ian) Bell, (Ian) Ward, (Scott) Newman — a few are getting runs and warrant consideration.
“By Sunday I decided my time was up. I knew it would either be called up by the chairman of selectors or myself.
“Monday was an incredible day. Monday clarified my thoughts. If I was going to go out and if someone gave me a day to thank me for the efforts I’ve put in since I was a young boy it was Monday.
“A lot of good things happened to me and I just think it was a great day for me. To do it here, to hit the final shot for four through the covers, my favorite shot and to win a game for England was a massive thing for me.
“It’s slightly selfish. I don’t like going in the middle of a series but if I’d carry on I do believe things will get messy. “At the moment things are clean and clear-cut,” he said as he called time on his 14-year international career.
“I’m emotional because it is a big day in my life to give up the game of cricket. Not because I’m sad but because cricket has meant so much to me.
“England have to move on without me eventually. It was only a week ago that if young Andrew Strauss hadn’t done the idiotic thing of running past me for some stupid reason and standing his ground, it wouldn’t be ‘we need you’, it would be ‘thank you very much and good night’.”
“I’ve had my turn, I’ve had my time.”
Hussain, who intends to pursue a career as a television commentator, explained he was intending to retire at the end of this season.
