Hussain prepared to give up Test captaincy

With the clamour for Michael Vaughan to take over the reins of the Test side getting louder and louder, Nasser Hussain admitted that he would consider handing over the leadership duties to Vaughan. In an interview published in the News of the World, Hussain stated that he wanted to step down while England were still winning.

"The captaincy is not something I'm going to hang on to. If the selectors ring me tomorrow and say 'We think Vaughanie's ready', that's fine with me," Hussain said. "No-one is more pleased than me that Vaughan has done well. I don't want to hand over after four-and-a-half years and see everything go downhill. I would like to hand over a winning team. Michael is being eased in nicely. Soon, he'll get the whole lot and he will be raring to go.

"Believe me, the time is not far away. Whether it's two months or a bit longer, someone else will wear the captain's armband and I have no problem with that. But, at the moment, England are scoring runs, taking wickets, winning Tests and one-dayers with young players that are coming through.

"It is better for me to choose the moment than the selectors. It's all about timing. I'll know that moment. As Mike Brearley said, when you wake up and you're no longer England captain, it will hurt."

Hussain, however, said that he wanted to continue till the tour of West Indies next year. "Whatever happens, I'd like to tour the Caribbean this winter. I'm batting well at the moment and my form for England has been good over the past couple of years."

Turning his sights to the more immediate job at hand, Hussain emphasised the need for England to maintain their dominance over South Africa. "South Africa are there for the taking. They are down and we must nail them."