Time called on Hussain

Not because he cares too little about what happens to England from now on but because his powerful and passionate personality may be too strong for a place in the wings. Hussain, by his own admission, has been a backside-kicker and every member of Thursday's team, with the possible exception of young fast bowler Jimmy Anderson, will have incurred the captain's (sorry, ex-captain's) wrath on more than one occasion.

It is hard to go back to being one of the lads when you've been the one giving the orders.

Hussain may make the transition smoothly enough and, provided he is scoring sufficient runs in the middle order to justify selection, take his place on this winter ' s tours of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

On the other hand, after four more Tests against South Africa, the idea of at long last spending six months at home with his wife and two young children could settle any debate raging inside his head.

"Basically I just want to go back to being a batsman and, if I'm good enough, staying in the England side and if I'm not, well someone else can do it," was how Hussain saw it after his 45th and final Test as captain.

Atherton, who led on 54 occasions, holds one record Hussain will now never challenge while Peter May's 20 victories remain out of range by three.

But facts and figures had nothing to do with Hussain's decision in Birmingham and, unless his form dictates otherwise, they will have no bearing on whether he makes himself available this winter.

It is the heart and the head that matter, not numbers, and neither told him he ought to carry on as skipper.

Hussain, having relinquished the one-day leadership after the World Cup, thought he would be able to pick up the reins again once Vaughan put them down following the NatWest victories over Pakistan, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

But something had changed in his absence, or at least he thought it had, and that was that. "Vaughany and the boys seemed to enjoy those onedayers," explained Hussain.

"It was very difficult for me ( coming back) because my style of captaincy has been about aggression and you have to give them a kick up the backside every now and then.

"But after seeing a young side enjoy themselves so much and have a different style of captain it was very difficult for me on my first day back to be something completely different. It had moved on a little bit and now they have a lad who can take them on."

Hussain also talked about feeling unequal to the task, for the first time, of trying to raise England from midoff when South Africa were racing to a total of nearly 400 on the opening day of the First Test.

Perhaps it would have been better for him to have at least waited until after the Lord's Test before resigning, thereby giving Vaughan and the selectors 10 days in which to gather their thoughts.

But he quit the one-day captaincy immediately after England had been eliminated from the World Cup and, as someone who generally wears his heart on his sleeve, trying to pretend all was well for another Test couldn't be entertained.

As a captain, Hussain would like to be remembered "just as someone who tried his hardest for his country at all times, someone whose players played for him and someone who did not just carry on doing the job because there was a few quid involved.

"Someone who did it so long as he thought he was doing his side and his country some good and, when he felt he wasn't, stood back and let someone else take over."

The immediate question, so far as Hussain's concerned, is whether he will now rediscover his top batting form after Test innings so far this summer of 19 and 18 against Zimbabwe and one and 23 not out against South Africa.

"He might relax, enjoy it and go out there and play some really good cricket," said coach Duncan Fletcher.

Or he might be gone almost before we know it.