Hussain - 'it's the runs that matter'

It was one of the abiding images of English cricket's recent history. When the final West Indian wicket fell at The Oval in August 2000, Nasser Hussain slumped to his haunches with his head in his hands - visibly exhausted by the mental effort he had put into the retrieval of the Wisden Trophy, after 31 years in Caribbean custody. And now, having arrived in Jamaica for his fourth and final tour of the West Indies, Hussain is adamant that England will not be giving up that prize without a serious fight.

"I don't want to come back here and say, here Mr Lara, here's your trophy back again," Hussain told the Daily Telegraph after landing at Kingston Airport. "Those great West Indian sides used to almost take the mick out of us. I was brought up with England losing 5-0 and people breaking arms and noses when facing their barrage of fast bowlers. That's why our win in 2000 was so important to my generation."

Hussain made his Test debut in Jamaica on the 1989-90 tour, the match in which England defied all the odds to secure a stunning nine-wicket victory. He is keenly aware that West Indies are not the force they once were, but that just cranks up the pressure to succeed. "Actually there is more pressure on the batsmen," he said, "because suddenly everyone suddenly expects them to get some runs. They'll have someone in every game to make life tricky for the batsmen - it's that kind of tour."

Hussain's own form is certain to come under the keenest scrutiny. At nearly 36, he is one of the elder statesmen of world cricket, and as Steve Waugh recently demonstrated in his farewell series, at that age it is current form that counts, not runs in the bank. "You don't get four or five Tests to get a score," he admitted after managing just 46 runs in four innings in Sri Lanka. "If you are playing well and contributing, then carry on. If you aren't, then it's somebody else's turn."

It has been six long years since England last came to the Caribbean, and Hussain is one of only three survivors from Mike Atherton's 1997-98 tour, the others being Mark Butcher and Graham Thorpe. But he scoffed at the notion that he had been selected because of his experience. "That is rubbish," he said. "Where did that experience get us in Sri Lanka? Whether you're an old hand, or a relatively new lad like Gareth Batty, your job is to get runs or wickets - that is it. If you can add any experience to that, in the dressing-room or in team meetings, then that's a bonus."

"After Sri Lanka, some people were questioning whether I should go on this trip or not. They don't look at the two years' good service with the bat, just the two Tests' disservice. I'm not as talented as a Lara or a Tendulkar, but averages don't bother me. It's how many tough situations I came through, or how many hundreds I've made that have gone on to win games for England."

Hussain needs another 10 matches to join that rare breed of cricketer that has played in 100 Test matches. It was a publicly stated ambition that invited some criticism when he voiced it this time last year. But triumphing over adversity has been one of Hussain's strengths throughout his career, and if his personal ambition helps carry England towards a collective goal, then nobody will be complaining come May.