In light of England's first test victory over New Zealand, and Nasser Hussain's brilliant display, should he quit international cricket? I don't think so myself, but the noose was out for him long before this Test...

SG I hope he hasn't hung himself with the run out today!(Shame that). I think he's still one of the best in England and should be a part of the test team, have my doubts in one-day games!

Hussain shouldn't go before the Headingley test:

Here's why: Headingley avs vs Test avs (before Lords)

tresco 22.20 vs 41.24
vaughan 37.60 vs 45.44
butcher 68.00 vs 35.53
hussain 47.76 vs 36.53
thorpe 33.10 vs 43.15
flintoff 17.50 vs 27.62

so we should leave Tresco out then!

The bigger question is "will the England selectors finally pick a spinner for Headingley?"

Every year we pick a team expecting it to be a seamer's paradise & lo and behold Warne/Kumble/Harbhajan pick up a good proportion of wickets.

My theory is that the selectors will drop Giles to accomodate Vaughan (who spins the ball more anyway!) so as to play an extra batsman on the "unpredictable Headingley wicket". (go have a look at the last 4 years tests to see how "unpredictable" it is!)

The England Test side has achieved some impressive results over the past few months, and as an Aussie who longs for a return to the time when Ashes Series were fiercely competitive, I hope that this team continues to do well. The selectors certainly have an embarrassment of batting riches at their disposal, and their task in deciding who to omit from the side that played at Lords will not be an easy one. However, I think they will bite the bullet and leave Hussain out. They have to take into the Leeds Test the side best suited for the conditions there, and I would have thought that Giles would play. The selectors also need to look beyond this current series with New Zealand, and consider next year's Tests against Australia. In Andrew Strauss, they have a batsman they can continue to groom for the future. Nasser Hussain has been a fine batsman and admirable ambassador for his country, but he is well into his thirties and his future Test career would seem to be limited.

Serendipity - lets hope the selectors make their decision to drop him in 4 tests time! (unless Nasser makes the choice for them) I'd like to see him get his 100 and then announce his retirement and exit the Test scene with the dignity he deserves.
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Didn't know he was so close to the landmark, Fosse! Unless something unforeseen happens, though, I still think they'll drop him.

there's a press conference this afternoon .... expectation is that hussain will announce his retirement.

Well, he's announced it. He has retired from "all forms of cricket with immediate effect."

Well, he's certainly gone out in the best possible way, with a match-winning century in his last Test. It says something for the character of the man, that he should make this announcement now. He must have seen how difficult a situation the selectors were in, and chose to help them out of their predicament by retiring. Well played, Nasser Hussain.

ECHO THAT - Well played Nasser, sorry to see you go!

God bless Nasser...a gentlemen from a gentlemens game....thanks for the memories.