Women's Ashes: 'Are England improving?' questions Nasser Hussain after Ashes series loss to Australia

Nasser Hussain performed in England Ashes defeats in Australia and captained the facet to a 4-1 collection loss in 2002/03, so is aware of what the ladies’s facet are presently going via.

Australia retained the Women’s Ashes on Monday with a fourth win in four to take an unassailable 8-0 lead within the multi-format collection, which continues on Thursday with the second of three T20 internationals between the perimeters from 8.15am (UK time).

With the one-off Take a look at to comply with that earns the winner 4 factors, there’s nonetheless an opportunity of England drawing the collection 8-8 – as they did within the 2023 Girls’s Ashes at house. However, having been completely outplayed throughout an ODI collection whitewash earlier than dropping the opening T20I, such a fightback from Heather Knight’s facet seems to be unlikely.

“The response and what has occurred jogs my memory very a lot of once we had been enjoying on the market,” Hussain stated on the most recent Sky Sports activities Cricket podcast.

“I do not assume we had been whitewashed – and this England ladies’s facet have not been whitewashed, however they’ve misplaced their first 4 video games. The Ashes have gone; I misplaced them in 12 days, Heather Knight in 9 days – albeit completely different codecs.

“It have to be vastly disappointing.

“Australia have proven their class. To place it in context, simply how good Australia are as a cricketing nation, they have not misplaced an ODI collection at house for 38 years! They’re one of many best sides there has ever been.

“However, as a substitute of wanting on the opposition, take a look at your individual facet. Are you enhancing beneath Knight and Jon Lewis? That is the query that must be requested.”

It’s 11 years since England final received The Ashes. Knight, appointed captain in 2016, led the crew to victory within the 2017 50-over World Cup on house soil, however England are trophyless since. Lewis, having taken over as head coach in 2022, has instilled a extra aggressive enjoying type however one which, as of but, has not introduced with it extra silverware.

England suffered an early exit ultimately yr’s T20 World Cup after a shock group-stage loss to West Indies in Dubai, with former participant turned pundit Alex Hartley saying some gamers had been “letting their crew down” with their health.

And following England’s 57-run defeat within the opening T20I on Monday, which clinched The Ashes for Australia, Hartley told the BBC’s Test Match Special that she believes she has been “hung out to dry” by the current team, claiming Sophie Ecclestone had refused to talk to her forward of the match.

Hussain, who himself had the odd run-in with the media throughout his enjoying profession – together with famously holding three fingers as much as the commentary field at Lord’s after scoring a century batting at No 3 in an ODI remaining towards India in 2002 – stated of Hartley’s feedback: “I believed what Alex Hartley stated was fairly honest.

“It is a part of her job to name it as she sees it. And it is a part of you to react; I have been there, with three fingers held as much as [Ian] Botham, [Bob] Willis and [Jonathan] Agnew.

“It is also a part of your accountability to do the media. However I’ve recognized the odd participant within the males’s sport really who will ask the query, ‘who’s doing the interview?’

“She questioned the health and the fielding particularly. And clearly sure members of the crew have reacted poorly to that.

“It has been a disappointing couple of weeks.”