It is sadly clear that Nasser Hussain is still a liability for England even though he now gloats in the commentary box instead of moaning on the field. He proved last night just why England were never going to be good again as long as he was playing. Every comment he makes is filled with hardline conservatism and an approach that goes by the slogan – never, under any circumstance, take any chances. In an earlier entry that grappled with the Ashraful issue I wrote of luck and batsmen that take chances well. Hussain is a polar opposite to Ashraful. Hussain was the luckiest batsmen in the world, he always seemed to be given chances – given not out when he clearly edged it, given not out by the 3rd umpire when the catch was clearly legitimate, out on a no-ball, edges flying just beyond stretching fingers. Yet he still couldn’t ever manage to score any runs. He should have been averaging well over 60 with the sort of luck he had. Instead he ran at 37.18. Because he had no idea of the concept of chance, and no idea how to take it – in fact he was/is morally opposed to taking it. Last night Collingwood and G. Jones had the chances going their way for a long time. Sky balls falling between or just short of fielders etc all night. It was obvious that the chance factor would shift – it would become to thin for them to be able to keep a grip on it and it would slide of elsewhere. But Nasser thought it all meant that England would win – things are going their way so things would forever be going their way. Like when he used to play Australia and instilled deep into his team’s psyche that they were only useless because things were going Australia’s way and would be forever – what can you do when fate is against you? There was no thought that maybe they could take some chance for themselves. So last night Hussain prophesises English victory based on the luck of Collingwood and G. Jones. The very next ball Collingwood drives hard to Symonds at cover, sets off for a run, realises that he has driven hard to Symonds at cover and the run thing is perhaps not such a fine idea, stops, tries to turn, slips, and is run out. Kind of unlucky. Symonds doesn’t miss chances like that. Nasser misses everything. As a hapless spectre haunting the English team’s chances still, his voice drifts over the airwaves and curdles English blood with its ill timed comment.