Australia captain Tim Paine did not show empathy as a fellow professional for England players when he said that the Ashes will go ahead regardless of whether Joe Root is there or not, said Nasser Hussain. The former England captain said that current skipper Root and the rest of the players have conducted themselves well considering their hectic schedule and the number of days they had to spend in quarantine.

“When Tim Paine, Australia’s Test captain, spoke recently I didn’t hear much empathy from a fellow professional. Now others have jumped on the Ashes bandwagon, as if England are somehow trying to dodge an important series,” said Hussain.

Paine recently said that England players have a choice to make as far as traveling to Australia is concerned for the Ashes later this year. “They’ll have a choice to make, you either get on that plane or don’t,” Australia’s captain said on radio station SEN. “No one is forcing you to come. If you don’t want to come, don’t come. The Ashes are going ahead. The first Test is on 8 December, whether Joe is here or not. There will be a squad of England players coming here.”

Hussain said that England players have played many more Tests than Australia have since March 2020. “England have played 18 Test matches since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. That’s five more than anyone else – and 14 more than Australia, whose four Tests all came at home against India last winter,” said Hussain.

“I’m quite proud of the way in which England’s Test team have kept the show on the road in difficult circumstances, moving in and out of bubbles and spending time away from their families. It’s draining. Mental health has suffered,” he said