May 4, 2003

I READ with interest what England captain Nasser Hussain recently wrote about his ambitions in the cricketing arena, that he wishes to complete at least hundred Tests, that he wants to be the longest-serving captain of his country ever, and that he desires to be the most successful English captain as well. All this means that he wishes to continue leading the English side for at least the next three years, if not more.

While he seems to be the best bet at this point in time, it still take some guts to spell out such a long-term plan in public when one is already in his mid-30s, which, in sporting terms, is beyond doubt the twilight zone. That Nasser took the perfectly avoidable option of going public with his remaining ambitions is perhaps an indication that he and his employers, the English Cricket Board, are pretty comfortable with each other right now. It is also an indication that he is facing no competition from any quarter at this point in time. Otherwise, Nasser would have exercised a bit more discretion, and would have continued with his ambitions without letting the common man have a peek into his heart.

Steve Waugh’s case is a good example of it. He is continuing with whatever is in his mind and heart. He keeps the world - the ACB, the selectors, his fellow players, cricketing fans across the globe - guessing. No one can really say what he is up to, and what his next move would be. What happened just recently before the tour to West Indies began, is a good example. He did his best to get into the Australian World Cup squad. When that did not happen, he turned to the First Class circuit, scored a huge pile of runs in both One Day and Four Day versions, led his State side to a rare double, but no one knew if he would travel to West Indies, or would call it a day after having scored a dramatic, exhilarating and, most of all, an emotional century in the last Test match against England, in which he had also equaled Allan Border’s record of playing the maximum number of Test matches, and had also crossed the 10,000-run mark, only the third soul in the history of the game to have done so.

Media speculation was rife, the selectors waited till the last moment, and even the Australian Cricket Board had to concede that the decision rested with Steve Waugh. The level of his form, fitness, keenness and commitment to the game was displayed in such impeccable terms on the field that no one dared to drop him, and this is to say a lot when we are talking of the cut-throat, no-nonsense world of Australian cricket.

Nasser Hussain has clearly not been impressed by Steve Waugh’s approach. He found it of more value and fun to share his mind and heart with the fans - and detractors, of course. What I fear is that it would put unnecessary pressure on him. He may not feel it when the going is smooth, but the moment things began to go wrong for whatever reasons, mid-30s is not the age group where he would have many chances to redeem himself. It would be difficult for him to stop the slide if he comes across one, like he did in Australia recently.

It must be said, however, that as things stand today, Nasser is by a great distance the best that England have in terms of leadership material. He did deliver the goods, winning crucial matches in various parts of the globe, and brought England much closer to the leading sides in international cricket. By leading sides, I mean sides other than Australia, which is in a class of its own.

But sports is not an arena where things can be taken for granted, and as you grow older, you begin to realize the importance of exercising discretion with respect to your public pronouncements, specially when they relate to long-term ambitions. Nasser apparently belongs to the other group. I wish him luck. I think he would need a lot of it in the years to come.

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