October 16 Wednesday 2002
Hussain faces daunting challenge in Australia 

PERTH: England cricket captain Nasser Hussain this week embarks on one of the sport's toughest missions -- an Ashes Test series on Australian soil. 

His 16-member squad touches down here Friday to prepare for four warm-up matches in three weeks ahead of the opening Test in Brisbane from November 7-11 when England begin their bid to conquer the old foe for the first time in 15 years. 

If Hussain's squad were apprehensive about their assignment when the touring party was announced a month ago, they will be even more sharply aware of the magnitude of their challenge after Australia's stunning form in the recent Tests against Pakistan.

Under their astute ringmaster Steve Waugh -- still a master tactician even if the reflexes have not improved over 37 years -- the world champions have shown, with their almost contemptuous dismissal of Waqar Younis' side, why they occupy number one position.

England, under the command of 34-year-old Hussain -- born in Chennai, India, but brought up in England from the age of five -- and Zimbabwe-born coach Duncan Fletcher, look to be a tougher proposition than the side outclassed by Australia in England last year. 

A 2-0 series win against Sri Lanka and a 1-1 drew with India in the recent northern summer confirmed the side's improvement. 

But there is a world of difference between taking on two of the game's medium powers on familiar home turf and locking horns with talent-laden Australia on rock-hard pitches under a blazing sun. 

Over the years, Englishmen have passed rather too many summers of discontent 'Down Under'. In the almost 60 years since World War Two, their teams have succeeded a mere four times from 17 attempts. 

Len Hutton (1954-55), Ray Illingworth (1970-71), Mike Brearley (1978-79) and Mike Gatting (1986-87) alone went home with the mythical Ashes, for which the two countries have fought for 120 years. 

Hutton, the first professional captain of 20th century England, received a knighthood at the end of his illustrious 79-Test career -- in major measure because of his achievement in inflicting a 3-1 defeat on Ian Johnson's side. 

Many in England would consider Hussain worthy of a similar honor if his unit overcame what appear to be massive odds and outsmarted the Aussies on their home territory. 

England's four series successes here in almost half a century have all been based on pace. 

Hutton had "Typhoon" Frank Tyson in his armoury; Illingworth the fiery John Snow; Brearley the mercurial Ian Botham, Bob Willis and Mike Hendrick; and Gatting could call on Graham Dilley and Gladstone Small England's pace component for this campaign does not appear to match the firepower of those earlier attacks. 

Yorkshireman Darren Gough, the team's best speed exponent, remains under a fitness cloud. 

He has not played Test cricket for more than a year after three knee operations. 

Andy Caddick (knee), Andy Flintoff (groin) and Simon Jones (side) have also missed action in recent months. 

Matthew Hoggard and recent debutant Steve Harmison complete an unusually big speed battery. 

The tourists' batting, headed by star openers Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan, and strongly supported by Hussain, Mark Butcher and veteran Alec Stewart, looks capable of making competitive scores. 

But dismissing Waugh's ace batting line-up twice in the same game appears to be the big headache facing the challengers. 

Squad:
Nasser Hussain (captain), Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, John Crawley, Alex Stewart, Robert Key, James Foster, Andrew Flintoff, Darren Gough, Andy Caddick, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones, Steve Harmison, Ashley Giles, Richard Dawson.