ABSTRACT
In early October 2002, before boarding the flight Down Under to have another go at the Ashes, England captain Nasser Hussain spelt out his priorities in an interview with BBC Radio Five. When asked what he would choose between being the first English captain to win the World Cup and the first English captain since Mike Gatting in 1986/87 to win the Ashes for his country, Hussain admitted that the choice was close but that he would go for Test cricket. ‘I’d take the Ashes,’ said Hussain.1 The Ashes are why England players play the game. And for me as captain I couldn’t think of a greater feeling than lifting that urn for my country.’ If the National Cricket Strategy of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is any indication, Hussain’s prioritization is one that is not entirely backed by official policy. The establishment of England’s men’s team as the number one in world ranking by 2007, and a World Cup win by the same year are outlined as fundamental objectives of the strategy.2 Never once does the policy document adopt a traditional Ashes-centric approach to cricket, though it can be said that the ECB’s statement of intent to elevate England as the world’s best team means, by implication, a desire to win the Ashes against Australia, currently the world’s best team. Significantly, in the light of the ICC’s Test rating mechanics, what it does really signify is the initiation of a plan of action that would culminate in the England team’s consistent performances against all top Test-playing countries over a period of time.
