Nasser Hussain has reiterated his opinion against the implementation of England’s controversial player rotation policy.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain said that he understands the intention behind the policy. However, he called for some accountability on the team management for the ‘repercussions’ over the implementation of the policy.
“Rishabh Pant smashing it all around Ahmedabad while Jos Buttler — an England player capable of doing the same thing — is sitting in a hotel room in the same city, being rested ahead of the white-ball matches, just doesn’t look right. Don’t get me wrong. Every reason a player has missed any part of this winter’s cricket has been a very valid one. But every decision you make as a player has repercussions down the line. They do have to take responsibility for their decisions,” said Nasser Hussain.
Jos Buttler who averages 34.67 from four games in India left for England after the first Test match of the four-match series. Apparently, he was being kept fresh for the upcoming five-match T20I and three-match ODI series. Buttler’s presence was hugely felt in the collapsing middle order as England lost the Test series 3-1.
Among the many issues faced by England in the Test series, off-spinner Dom Bess’s inconstancy in favourable conditions was one of them. Bess took only five wickets from two games at an average of 39.4.
Sympathizing with the youngster whose shortcomings were exposed in the series, Nasser Hussain said,
“Dom Bess has been brought up on turning pitches in Taunton. He has been well looked after by the ECB and been sent to spin camps in the subcontinent. Everything was set up for him to deliver in India. And, let’s be honest, Bess didn’t deliver. I have a huge amount of sympathy for him because there is nothing worse than being in the middle of a cricket field thinking you have let your team and country down. But that’s how ruthless Test cricket can be. It exposes you like no other form of the game.”
The T20I series between India and England starts on March 12 in Ahmedabad.
