The former England captain, Nasser Hussain, has said that Pakistan could have been a biggest threat for England’s current status as the world’s best Test side had they been free of all the controversies embroiling the men in green for the past one year.
In an interview with a leading sports channel, the cricketer turned commentator did not agree with the host’s suggestion that South Africa are the biggest threat for the No. 1 spot of England.
They [South Africa] are, away from the subcontinent,” said the cricketer turned commentator. “If you had all of the Pakistan team available, and all fit, and none of the politics and none of the going around in circles with captains and all that, with their bowling attack, they would be a threat, but unfortunately that's not the case,” he added further.
He however, agreed that the Proteas are also a formidable side and pose a threat to England’s numero uno Test status. At the same time Nasser takes some positives from the South African squad that lacks variety.
“...they rely heavily on [Morne] Morkel and [Dale] Steyn. Imran Tahir is a very useful addition to them,” said the India-born former England cricketer. “But Jacques [Kallis] is not young, [Mark] Boucher is not young. I don't know who is going to keep wicket, whether AB [de Villiers] will take over. They are a good side, but I still fancy England,” he added further.
England recently toppled India as the world’s number Test side, inflicting a devastating 4-0 whitewash on Dhoni and his men. The thrashing pushed India to the number three spot on the ICC Test rankings table, just behind South Africa.
After losing the Test series and the only T20, India are currently playing England in the five-match One-Day series with eight of its key players out of the series with injuries.
When asked whether the ODI series between India and England would be tightly fought, Nasser said that without the likes of Zaheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh and Gautam Gambhir, it is quite difficult for India to turn the result around.
