A crass decision

Surely we all had the right to know at the close of the first day why he had gone a long way towards surrendering the Ashes before a ball had been bowled.

Was there damp in the pitch? Did he feel the atmosphere was conducive to lavish swing? Had he been offered a few million rupees by a Mr Gupta?

But there was not a word of explanation until the humiliation was complete. And why not? Because Nasser was saving it for his column in The Sunday Telegraph.

The ST presumably pays Hussain handsomely for the revelations which are denied to the rest of the world, so they might have felt a little short-changed when he began: "It is obvious, blatantly obvious, that the decision I made to send Australia in to bat was wrong."

Well blow me down, Nasser, I thought you'd got it spot on.

By way of explanation, he did go on to suggest that the only time The Gabba wicket does anything for the seamers is in the first two sessions and he hoped to limit Australia to 300 for five or six wickets on the first day.

Even had he succeeded in that the Aussies would still have won comfortably because Queensland is in the grip of a drought and the pitch was bound to crack. In such circumstances you don't want to bat last when Shane Warne is in the opposition.

It has been pointed out that England were thrashed in the first Test at Brisbane in 1954 before Frank Tyson went on to bowl them to a resounding series win.

The hope is now that Stephen Harmison will prove the new Tyson, although I can't quite see the Ashington lad writing in future years the sort of contrived poppycock which Tyson produced in a newspaper column this week.

He began: "As a Durham University graduate in natural sciences, Nasser Hussain knows full well that Queensland is a cornucopia of natural wealth."

This might have been excusable had the opening gambit borne much relevance to what followed.

But it amounted to little more than a summary of the Test, with the great man's only constructive observation being that Caddick should bowl a slightly fuller length to Hayden.

Typhoon Tyson is also a Durham University graduate, but among the plethora of first-class players who have since passed through its portals precious few have been quick bowlers.

A brain is a big help to a bowler, and cynics will observe it can also be useful in a captain. But in half-hearted defence of Hussain's brainstorm, I suggest that had the bowlers performed with intelligence and the catches been held the captain's gamble would not appear to have erred on the insane side of reckless.

IF an elite of half of dozen clubs really are going to rule English football, then Newcastle are going to be among them.

With an extra £10m expected to accrue from their extraordinary qualification for the second phase of the Champions League, the only cloud on the horizon is that Sir Bobby can't go on forever.

What a transformation he has master-minded since the disastrous reign of Ruud Gullit, who ought to have been acutely embarrassed when invited to give his expert opinions on Dutch TV on Wednesday night.

As he approaches his 70th birthday, Robson is adamant he has no plans to retire. And why should he?

Even if his heart will hardly benefit from the stresses of Wednesday's roller-coaster ride, I don't think he'd have sacrificed being present at such a marvellous occasion for an extra ten years in his armchair.

Just imagine the pride in witnessing that glorious second goal, superbly fashioned by Kieron Dyer and so sweetly finished by Hugo Viana's left foot.

Newcastle might get another two or three years out of Sir Bobby, and hopefully he'll ensure a lasting legacy by lining up the right man to take over. A place among the elite has not been easily earned; nor should it be lightly given up.

PROFESSIONAL snooker is snookered. It missed a chance this week to reverse the slide into a deep hole into which neither sponsors nor fans wish to peer.

The reform group, led by Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Terry Griffiths, wanted to install a new governing board and accept £2.5m of backing from a finance company called Altium.

They were out-voted, and it has all been rather reminiscent of the split in darts, which suffered a similar decline in popularity as a spectator sport.

Still, it shouldn't bother the thousands who still enjoy a game over a pint or three. Snooker and darts are social occasions, not breeding grounds for TV personalities. And long may that continue.NASSER Hussain was roundly pilloried for so generously inviting the Australians to bat first at Brisbane, and it appeared such a crass decision I couldn't wait to hear his attempts to justify it.

Surely we all had the right to know at the close of the first day why he had gone a long way towards surrendering the Ashes before a ball had been bowled.

Was there damp in the pitch? Did he feel the atmosphere was conducive to lavish swing? Had he been offered a few million rupees by a Mr Gupta?

But there was not a word of explanation until the humiliation was complete. And why not? Because Nasser was saving it for his column in The Sunday Telegraph.

The ST presumably pays Hussain handsomely for the revelations which are denied to the rest of the world, so they might have felt a little short-changed when he began: "It is obvious, blatantly obvious, that the decision I made to send Australia in to bat was wrong."

Well blow me down, Nasser, I thought you'd got it spot on.

By way of explanation, he did go on to suggest that the only time The Gabba wicket does anything for the seamers is in the first two sessions and he hoped to limit Australia to 300 for five or six wickets on the first day.

Even had he succeeded in that the Aussies would still have won comfortably because Queensland is in the grip of a drought and the pitch was bound to crack. In such circumstances you don't want to bat last when Shane Warne is in the opposition.

It has been pointed out that England were thrashed in the first Test at Brisbane in 1954 before Frank Tyson went on to bowl them to a resounding series win.

The hope is now that Stephen Harmison will prove the new Tyson, although I can't quite see the Ashington lad writing in future years the sort of contrived poppycock which Tyson produced in a newspaper column this week.

He began: "As a Durham University graduate in natural sciences, Nasser Hussain knows full well that Queensland is a cornucopia of natural wealth."

This might have been excusable had the opening gambit borne much relevance to what followed. But it amounted to little more than a summary of the Test, with the great man's only constructive observation being that Caddick should bowl a slightly fuller length to Hayden.

Typhoon Tyson is also a Durham University graduate, but among the plethora of first-class players who have since passed through its portals precious few have been quick bowlers.

A brain is a big help to a bowler, and cynics will observe it can also be useful in a captain. But in half-hearted defence of Hussain's brainstorm, I suggest that had the bowlers performed with intelligence and the catches been held the captain's gamble would not appear to have erred on the insane side of reckless.

IF an elite of half of dozen clubs really are going to rule English football, then Newcastle are going to be among them.

With an extra £10m expected to accrue from their extraordinary qualification for the second phase of the Champions League, the only cloud on the horizon is that Sir Bobby can't go on forever.

What a transformation h e has master-minded since the disastrous reign of Ruud Gullit, who ought to have been acutely embarrassed when invited to give his expert opinions on Dutch TV on Wednesday night.

As he approaches his 70th birthday, Robson is adamant he has no plans to retire. And why should he? Even if his heart will hardly benefit from the stresses of Wednesday's roller-coaster ride, I don't think he'd have sacrificed being present at such a marvellous occasion for an extra ten years in his armchair.

Just imagine the pride in witnessing that glorious second goal, superbly fashioned by Kieron Dyer and so sweetly finished by Hugo Viana's left foot.

Newcastle might get another two or three years out of Sir Bobby, and hopefully he'll ensure a lasting legacy by lining up the right man to take over. A place among the elite has not been easily earned; nor should it be lightly given up.

PROFESSIONAL snooker is snookered. It missed a chance this week to reverse the slide into a deep hole into which neither sponsors nor fans wish to peer.

The reform group, led by Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Terry Griffiths, wanted to install a new governing board and accept £2.5m of backing from a finance company called Altium.

They were out-voted, and it has all been rather reminiscent of the split in darts, which suffered a similar decline in popularity as a spectator sport.

Still, it shouldn't bother the thousands who still enjoy a game over a pint or three. Snooker and darts are social occasions, not breeding grounds for TV personalities. And long may that continue.

Published: 15/11/2002