Rishabh Pant smashing a hundred while Jos Buttler sits in a hotel room in the same city doesn't look right: Nasser Hussain
Nasser Hussain has reiterated his stance against the implementation of England's controversial player rotation policy.
Calling for a rethink on the same, Nasser Hussain said that Rishabh Pant scoring a match-winning hundred in Ahmedabad while Jos Buttler, a player with similar abilities, resting for the white-ball matches 'doesn't look right' for England cricket.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Nasser Hussain said that he understands the intentions behind the policy. However, he has called for some accountability on the part of the team management for the 'repercussions' over the implementation of the policy:
"Rishabh Pant smashing it all around Ahmedabad while Jos Buttler — an England player capable of doing the same thing — is sitting in a hotel room in the same city, being rested ahead of the white-ball matches, just doesn't look right. Don't get me wrong. Every reason a player has missed any part of this winter's cricket has been a very valid one. But every decision you make as a player has repercussions down the line. They do have to take responsibility for their decisions," said Nasser Hussain.
Jos Buttler, who averages 34.67 from four games in India, had left for England after the first match of the 4-Test series. He was apparently being kept fresh for the upcoming 5-match T20I and 3-match ODI series.
England lost the Test series 3-1, where Buttler's game-changing ability was certainly missed in their fragile middle order.
"I have a huge amount of sympathy for Dom Bess" - Nasser Hussain
Among the many issues that emerged for England in the Test series was off-spinner Dom Bess's inconsistency in favourable conditions. Bess returned five wickets from two games at an average of 39.4.
Nasser Hussain said he sympathises with the youngster whose shortcomings were ruthlessly exposed in the series.
"Dom Bess has been brought up on turning pitches in Taunton. He has been well looked after by the ECB and been sent to spin camps in the subcontinent. Everything was set up for him to deliver in India. And, let's be honest, Bess didn't deliver. I have a huge amount of sympathy for him because there is nothing worse than being in the middle of a cricket field thinking you have let your team and country down. But that's how ruthless Test cricket can be. It exposes you like no other form of the game," said Nasser Hussain.
Meanwhile, the T20I series between India and England starts off on March 12 in Ahmedabad.