‘It’s a bit rich’ – Nasser Hussain blasts Australia for double standards

The flak that England’s Test cricketers are receiving from certain corners for their hesitancy before agreeing to tour Australia for the Ashes later this year “doesn’t sit comfortably with me”, former England skipper Nasser Hussain has said.

That naysaying, “particularly from Australia”, for raising concerns around quarantine and restrictive bio-bubbles is not okay as far as Hussain is concerned.

Hussain said “it’s a bit rich” on Aussies’ part to be “lecturing” England on not showing more acceptance towards the restrictions in place when they’ve been nowhere near as committed to cricket’s resumption and health amid the pandemic.

“England have played 18 Test matches since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. That’s five more than anyone else — and 14 more than Australia, whose four Tests all came at home against India last winter,” the ex English skipper wrote for the Daily Mail.

“I’m quite proud of the way in which England’s Test team have kept the show on the road in difficult circumstances, moving in and out of bubbles and spending time away from their families. It’s draining. Mental health has suffered.”

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Nasser Hussain has come out in defence of England players’ after concerns raised around travelling for the Ashes.

Nasser Hussain questions Australian hypocrisy regarding England’s stance on Ashes

Amid reports that the top cream of England players, including Test match captain Joe Root, could opt out of the Ashes tour if their families are not allowed and some of the restrictions are not lifted, Australian Test skipper Tim Paine had an indirect go at them.

As quoted by Fox Sports, Paine had insisted that the Ashes will begin as scheduled on December 8 irrespective of whether “Joe’s here or not”. While Paine did say it’s an individual call that should be respected in case an England cricketer withdrew from the Ashes, Nasser Hussain felt the Aussie captain’s words lacked a sense of “empathy” for his English counterparts.

The cricketer turned commentator said Paine’s words have only added fuel to the fire and did nothing to help the accusations that England are somehow trying to “dodge an important series”.

“When Tim Paine, Australia’s Test captain, spoke recently I didn’t hear much empathy from a fellow professional. Now others have jumped on the Ashes bandwagon, as if England are somehow trying to dodge an important series.”

“I get all the arguments. Yes, England’s Test players are paid handsomely. Yes, representing your country, particularly in an away Ashes, is the highest honour there is for a professional cricketer. Yes, some of the players have chosen to add to their own burden by taking part in overseas T20 tournaments such as the IPL.”

“I understand all that. But unless you’ve spent time in a bubble — and some of these guys have done it repeatedly — you don’t get to lecture other people on how they should behave,” added Hussain, indicating strongly his displeasure at questions raised over England players’ attitude from Australian cricketers, fans and the media when their own team have hardly shown any willingness to travel around in the pandemic times.

Australia cancelled their scheduled trips to South Africa and Bangladesh earlier this year and have now gone 10 months since hosting India in January for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy without playing a Test match.

Whereas, since the resumption of cricket last summer, England have hosted Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand India and travelled to Sri Lanka and India for Test cricket

And even though the three lions are under scrutiny for their recent decision to postpone and call off scheduled white-ball tours to Bangladesh and Pakistan, respectively, they are definitely not as guilty of letting another country down as the Australians, Nasser Hussain pointed.