Published: 6 June 2015
Former England cricketer Nasser Hussain:
‘I’ve become enthralled with netball since my daughter Leila started playing’
We ask a celebrity a set of probing questions and only accept THE definitive answer. This week: former England cricket captain Nasser Hussain
The prized possession you value above all others...My dad Joe’s old watch. He died six years ago when he was 68 after a long illness and my mum gave it to me. I plan to leave it to my two boys Jacob, 13, and Joel, 12.
The biggest regret you wish you could amend...Not reading more when I was a kid. I was always off playing cricket.
The temptation you wish you could resist...A glass of chardonnay at about 8pm each night after putting our three kids to bed. And a second glass depending on what kind of day it’s been!
The book that holds an everlasting resonance...A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein about life as a professional golfer. I love golf and this really takes you inside the mind of a pro.
The priority activity if you were the Invisible Man for a day...I’d listen to a José Mourinho half-time team talk at Chelsea. Even though I’m an Arsenal fan, I sense that he always says something that lifts the team, but what is it?
The pet hate that makes your hackles rise...Rudeness. Manners get forgotten all too often these days.
The person who has influenced you most...My dad. He sacrificed so much so I could pursue my love of cricket as a boy. He drove me all over the country.
The figure from history for whom you’d most like to buy a pie and a pint...Nelson Mandela. I’d talk to him about how he managed to continue fighting for his beliefs without bitterness.
The piece of wisdom you would pass on to a child...Be the best you can be. As long as you’ve given 100 per cent, you can hold your head up high.
The film you can watch time and time again...The Shawshank Redemption. I’ve seen it 50 times. It’s so powerful and Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman are an amazing double act.
The treasured item you lost and wish you could have again...A gold cricket bat medallion I bought on my first tour of the Caribbean with England in 1990. I wore it for five years, but then it just disappeared.
The unlikely interest that engages your curiosity...I’ve become enthral-led with netball since my nine-year-old daughter Leila started playing. But I’m obsessed with the ‘footwork rule’. I have absolutely no idea how it works!
The unending quest that drives you on...To have no regrets.
The poem that touches your soul...Daffodils by William Wordsworth. To me, it represents the arrival of spring and the cricket season.
The misapprehension about yourself you wish you could erase...That I’m angry. I was caught on camera shouting at the players when I was captain and that became my image. I’m a lot more chilled than people expect.
The event that altered the course of your life and character...Being caught out soon after coming in at No.3 in a Test match against India in 1996. But I stayed put and waited for the umpire’s decision, which is a bit naughty, and was given Not Out. I went on to score 128 and was named Man of the Series. That was a turning point in my career.
The crime you would commit knowing you could get away with it...I’d break into the Picasso Museum in Paris, steal one of his paintings and give it to my wife Karen. She loves his work.
The song that means most to you...Nothing Compares 2 U by Sinead O’Connor. I was listening to it during a period when I was scoring lots of runs, so I kept playing it. We cricketers are a superstitious lot!
The way you would spend your fantasy 24 hours, with no travel restrictions...I’d wake in my own bed at home in Essex and have a fry-up with Karen and the kids. Then we’d arrive in Ullswater in the Lake District for a walk. We’d take a steamboat ride, then have a ploughman’s lunch in a pub. I’d only have a pint of lime and lemonade because any alcohol at lunchtime sends me to sleep. After that I’d play a round of golf at Augusta. Maybe I’d squeeze in a parachute jump after that. I’ve never done one, but it’s good to be taken out of your comfort zone! Later I’d join the family on Crane beach on the south coast of Barbados for some boogie-boarding, then have a rum punch and a roti in a beach bar. We’d spend the evening in Barcelona having tapas with a decent bottle of white wine. The day would end back home.
The happiest moment you will cherish forever...Watching Jacob score the winning goal in a league decider for his school when he was nine. All his team-mates went ballistic and hugged him.
The saddest time that shook your world...The day my dad died. I wish I’d spent more time with him, but I was away travelling so much.
The unfulfilled ambition that continues to haunt you...To own a private jet to bypass all the hassle at airports.
The philosophy that underpins your life...Don’t sweat the small stuff. I’m a worrier by nature, but I try to limit my worrying to the things that matter.
The order of service at your funeral...I’d want a private ceremony with a few pleasantries and no fuss. I’ll leave provision for a wake with some decent wine, so it can end on a happy note.
The way you want to be remembered...With a smile by the people I love.
The Plug...The Investec Ashes begin on 8 July. For information about Investec private banking visit investec.co.uk/pb. Twitter @InvestecCricket.
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