Nasser Hussain
He transformed England's cricket team from a laughingstock into a combative, respected unit through sheer force of will and tactical grit.
Born 1968 (age 58)·English cricketer·Birthday: March 28·Generation X
Biography
Born in Madras to an Indian father and English mother, Nasser Hussain's journey to the England captaincy was a story of outsider determination. His batting, marked by a trademark shuffle and a fighter's temperament, often mirrored his personality: prickly, intense, and fiercely intelligent. Taking over an England team demoralized by years of failure, Hussain instilled a hard-nosed professionalism, famously demanding his players 'look in the mirror' after a defeat. His partnership with coach Duncan Fletcher became the bedrock for England's later successes, culminating in a historic series win in Pakistan in 2000. After retiring, he channeled his analytical mind into commentary, where his direct, uncompromising insights have made him a defining voice of the modern game.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Nasser was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Nasser Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Nasser's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Captained England to a first Test series victory in Pakistan for 39 years in 2000.
- Scored a Test-best 207 against Australia in the 1997 Ashes, an innings hailed by Wisden.
- Led England to a memorable 2-1 home Ashes series victory in 2001.
- Averaged over 40 as captain, scoring 2,634 runs in that role.
- Played 96 Test matches, scoring 5,764 runs including 14 centuries.
Did You Know?
He was born in Chennai, India (then Madras), and his full name is Nasser Hussain.
His father, Jawad Hussain, played first-class cricket in India.
He once scored a century while batting with a broken finger during a Test match.
He is a passionate fan of the rock band Queen.
He turned down a place at university to pursue cricket full-time.
“We have to look in the mirror, we have to be honest with ourselves.”
