(Sky Sports)
Former England captain Nasser Hussain has once again raised concerns about the state of Test cricket, particularly focusing on the West Indies’ performance following their defeat in the first Test against England.
England clinched victory by an innings and 114 runs in under three days at Lord’s, with West Indies faltering to scores of 121 and 136 in response to England’s commanding first innings total of 371. This match also marked the farewell Test for James Anderson, who retired with 704 wickets to his name, including 3 in West Indies’ second innings.
Speaking on the Sky Sports Podcast, Hussain expressed disappointment with the current state of Test cricket in the West Indies. He highlighted the inexperienced and underprepared nature of the West Indies’ Test squad, suggesting they struggled to adapt to the demands of the format. In contrast, England benefited from red-ball preparation through County Championship matches, whereas West Indies had only a single three-day red-ball game against a First-Class Counties XI ahead of the series.
“Those two days summed up for me where we are with Test cricket. You talk about all the batting they could have but they’re off in a white-ball sunset, you’ve got bowlers who haven’t bowled, you’ve got undercooked cricketers, and then you lose the toss and have the worst of conditions, and everyone goes ‘Test cricket is dying’,” said Hussain on the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast.
“But if you prepare for a Test match like that, you’ll get exactly what England get when they go away. It frustrates me because you’ve got to give Test matches the preparation that they deserve, which is a very easy thing to say but a very difficult thing to do in modern times,” he added.
There is uncertainty surrounding West Indies’ ability to challenge England in their upcoming second Test match at Trent Bridge, commencing on July 18. Andre Coly, the head coach of the West Indies team, urges his players to draw motivation from their recent victory over Australia at the Gabba earlier this year.
West Indies Are in Terminal Decline: Nasser Hussain
He went on to comment on the concerning situation in West Indies Test cricket, noting that the team has rarely fielded an experienced side, with most of their current players being specialists in white-ball formats.
“The other story is ‘the West Indies are in terminal decline’ — England haven’t won in the Caribbean for two decades and (the West Indies) hold the Richard-Botham Trophy,” Hussain said.
Hussain also addressed England’s challenges in Test cricket when playing abroad, particularly in countries such as India and Australia. England currently does not hold the Ashes urn, having lost the series to Australia, and they were also defeated earlier this year in India.
“England travel to India or Australia and don’t particularly do well, so it shouldn’t just be a West Indies story. All it does is add to the fact that Test-match cricket is in a difficult place, and it is sort of self-perpetuating.”
With England now leading the series 1-0 at home, they have an opportunity to climb the WTC 2023-25 points table.
