Nasser Hussain will reconsider his position as England captain after the World Cup. Hussain was speaking immediately after the ICC delivered its verdict on England's ill-fated fixture against Zimbabwe in Harare, a game that will now not be played with England losing the points from the match. Hussain, clearly angry at what he sees as cricket's governing body failing in its duty to look after the well-being of players, was lucid and thoughtful when he addressed reporters. "It makes me think more about my long-term future as captain after the tournament," he said. But he was also infuriated that the ECB, his employers, had seen fit to apologise to ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed on his behalf after the two had a frank exchange of views at a meeting in Cape Town last week. "I have absolutely nothing to apologise for, at no stage did I swear or be rude," he said. "I just let them know that they had let us down, they should have seen it coming six months ago and seen it snowballing." "It's the players and the cricket that is keeping me going," he said. "If I started thinking about the authorities and the way they have behaved, I would be going around in circles." "I believe that this group of cricketers, given the wranglings between Britain and Zimbabwe, have been let down by the ICC and therefore I feel I have no need to apologise. "The team are very disappointed (at the ICC's decision)," Hussain added. "It's not the start we wanted in the tournament. There are issues at stake much bigger than four points, but to a group of cricketers sat in their rooms they will all be very disappointed that a major tournament they have prepared a long time for has begun like this. "I have seen a group of players whose World Cup dream had been shattered by politics but should have been seen six months ago by people at the ICC. The authorities have fudged the issue."

15 Feb, 2003