Nasser Hussain blames both England's cricket chiefs and 'in your face' Pietersen for captaincy chaos just before Ashes
Nasser Hussain blames both England's cricket chiefs and 'in your face' Pietersen for captaincy chaos just before Ashes
Nasser Hussain attacked both Kevin Pietersen and cricket chiefs as the star batsman resigned the England captaincy.
Pietersen's falling out with coach Peter Moores led to both men losing their positions yesterday, just weeks before England depart for their tour of the West Indies.
For ex-England captain Hussain the pain of another self-inflicted wound in the body of English cricket was hard to take ahead of this year's Ashes series.
"It's surprising how English cricket continues to shoot itself in the foot just before an Ashes series," he said.
Pietersen only became England captain in August after Michael Vaughan's tearful resignation.
Hussain said, "The ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) knew exactly when they gave Kevin Pietersen the job, what sort of guy he is.
Abrasive KP
"That's why I thought they gave him the job, because he was abrasive, he was going to be in your face and take people on.
"They must have known it was eventually going to come to a clash between Pietersen and Moores."
But Hussain also criticised the conduct of Pietersen, not due back from a holiday in his native South Africa until today.
"You can't just sit on safari in South Africa and issue ultimatums to the board about the England cricket captaincy. It is far too important for that."
Opening batsman Andrew Strauss, a far less flamboyant figure than Pietersen, will take over the captaincy having previously led the team to a series win over Pakistan in 2006 when Michael Vaughan was injured.
