Hussain's resignation - what they said

Matthew Engel, writing in The Guardian, called it the most surprising thing to happen in England since "Harold Wilson walked out of Downing Street for no obvious reason 27 years ago". Nasser Hussain's shock resignation from the captaincy of England has, as can only be expected, provoked a slew of reactions from the cricket world, ranging from surprise to nostalgia. Here are just a few of them:

"I was there when both Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton resigned and they were both sad days. As captains, they had many great qualities, but when it came to on-the-field tactics Nasser was the best." Alec Stewart

"Nasser is a straight bloke and has done a brave thing. He has done extremely well as captain. When he took over, his own game wasn't perhaps at the top of the list. But he has a strong mind and a resolute attitude. That is what England needed then and along with Duncan Fletcher he turned England into a side with steel in it." Mike Gatting

"If you haven't got that 100% drive in yourself to lead a team, the best thing to do is to stand down. He has been very brave and honest to do that." David Gower

"When England's team either side of the millennium is judged by historians, they may well use terms like 'Before Nasser' and 'After Nasser' to explain the newfound rigour the side developed under him. There can be no greater compliment." Derek Pringle

"Hussain's attitude to captaincy and his methods may not have pleased everyone but he has been an excellent leader. During his four years in charge Hussain led his side with a passion that was absent from any of the four England captains I played under." Angus Fraser

"Like everyone else in the dressing room I was surprised by his decision. He has been a hugely inspirational captain and no one cares more about the England team than he does." Michael Vaughan

"He has instilled a passion and fire into the belly of English cricket and groomed a team which I believe are the second-best in the world. Nasser can now give himself a pat on the back and reflect on a job well done." Ian Botham

"Three games into his reign, Hussain stood on the balcony of The Oval and was booed, his side branded the worst in the world. But he has since striven endlessly to elevate the status of the side. He leaves it significantly better." Mike Selvey

"When everything goes wrong, it is easy to think a change would relieve the pressure, but it won't. If he [Hussain] is tired now, he must have been tired before the start of the Test. In the end, it was an inner turmoil which led to him making a hasty decision and one that he might come to regret." Geoffrey Boycott

"Nasser has been an outstanding leader of England. It has been a privilege of mine to work with him - as it has been for all the selectors. He's always made his decisions, despite what's written in the media, in the wider interests of the England team, and he's done that again today." David Graveney

"It has come as a surprise. I didn't expect it to happen but Nasser obviously feels it is the best way forward for their side. I had been reading up on Hussain but now I suppose I'll have to read up on Vaughan again instead." Graeme Smith

"The news came as a shock to most of us ... It's not ideal timing between back-to-back Tests, but Nasser had obviously decided that it had got a bit too much for him and it must have been a big call for him to make." Ashley Giles

"Nasser will be remembered as a captain who was liked in the dressing room. He's done plenty of positive things during his time in charge and, hopefully, Michael Vaughan will be able to build on that." Dennis Amiss