Illingworth questions Hussain's hunger for captaincy

England captain Nasser Hussain may no longer have the hunger to lead his country after Australia's complete dominance of the current Ashes series, former England captain Ray Illingworth said on Monday.

Australia crushed Hussain's side by an innings and 48 runs in the third Test on Sunday in Perth, Western Australia, to retain the Ashes, winning the match in less than three days.

"He's had such a pounding I don't know whether he actually would want it," Illingworth said in an interview aired on Australia's Channel Nine on Monday.

"I know the Aussies really had some big scores but that's the time when the captain really has to come to the fore and gee everybody else up.

"He looked very down and almost out, I should say," added Illingworth, 70, who captained England in 31 matches including a 2-0 Ashes series win against Ian Chappell's Australia in 1970-71.

The Yorkshireman, who is also a former England chairman of selectors, was critical of Hussain's decision to leave the squad during a match against Australia A in Hobart last month to attend the birth of his son Joel in Perth.

"He has made mistakes on this tour. I think he left the party when he shouldn't have left them and things like that," Illingworth said.

"He's been the best captain we've had for quite a few years and he hasn't suddenly lost all that.

"But it does eventually get to you if you keep on losing so heavily.

"The fact they're getting annihilated, that's what's upsetting everybody."

Hussain, 34, told a news conference it was tempting to stand down after another heavy defeat but he owed it to his team mates to continue in the job.

"One thing I'm not going to do is walk away from this team in their present bruised and battered state and give it to some young lad and say 'here you take them out there'," Hussain said.

"It would be good for Nasser Hussain, I'd just concentrate on my batting and it would be the easiest thing for me to do, but I will not take that option against that lot."

Mail Cricket Editor