Hussain's last hurrah?

Nasser Hussain: will the Lord's century be his last triumph? © Getty Images Enlarge

The gutsy unbeaten 103 that Nasser Hussain scored to clinch victory at Lord's might have been his last Test innings. Speaking to the media after guiding England to a famous win in the first Test against New Zealand, Hussain announced that he would decide, within the "next 24 to 48 hours", his future as a Test cricketer.

"I have to make some decisions in my life," Hussain said. "I don't really want to go in the middle of the series, I want to see it out and beat the New Zealanders but I don't want to see a young lad who got 200 [runs] in a game left out for me - and without pre-empting the selection process, I doubt very much that he will be. The last thing I want to is to hold anyone back. I would hate that to happen to me.

"I will have to talk to people in my life, my father. It is an emotive decision to have to make. The coach, Duncan Fletcher, was in my hotel room last night. We had a glass of Chardonnay and a long conversation. He is a very important person in my life. I am talking about reaching a decision over the next 24, maybe 48 hours."

Hussain also clarified that the thought of retiring wasn't a spur-of-the-moment act, as a reaction to his matchwinning hundred. "This is not something I have just thought about now. I have been thinking it over since Barbados. You want to go out at the top. I wanted to think about this on my own, speak to my dad, and speak to other people."

Hussain, 36, is only four matches away from playing 100 Tests, but he stated firmly that the landmark wouldn't necessarily tempt him to play longer. "This thing about 100 Tests is something other people have talked up. You set yourself goals but it is not the be-all and end-all. I've thought a lot about this. I want to end on a high. To get a hundred at Lord's with the ovation and the crowd, then run through the long room with members patting me on the back was very special. While the fans still want me, this is a great thing to sit back and remember in the years to come."