England must look to the future - Hussain

England are aiming to look to the future rather than the past when the fourth test against Australia gets under way at Headingley tomorrow.

With the country inundated by articles, features and television specials about the exploits of Ian Botham and Bob Willis on this ground 20 years ago, the present England team are aiming to stop Australia's momentum and claim a consolation prize from this one-sided Ashes series.

With the Ashes already gone beyond recall, the back-to-back Tests at Headingley and The Oval are seen more as a chance to evaluate form and availability as the selectors look towards the tour of India later this year.

That squad will be announced on August 28th, together with the one-day party to visit Zimbabwe for five one-day internationals in September, if the political climate there allows it.

"We can't afford to keep losing - we've got to put a performance in again and start the ball rolling once again," stressed the England captain Nasser Hussain, back after missing two Tests with a broken finger.

"Everyone tends to look back to the glory days, but we have to be careful we don't do that. We are looking to the future and not backwards, which even goes for this side - there's no point going on about the last 18 months when we've been successful if we rock up and keep losing.

"English cricket has to carry on. We've competed against everyone else but not this Australian side, but we have important tours coming up and we have to think about the future."

Hussain and the Chairman of the England selectors, David Graveney, will have further discussions with England's two senior players, Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton, before England finalise their tour parties.

Hussain said: "They have two important weeks making up their own minds because with the tour selections coming up soon after the Oval we would hope both of them and anyone else would have made their minds up by then.

"I have great respect for those two, they have both played over 120 Test matches, both average around 40, Stewie does little wrong behind the stumps and Athers is still catching well and still gutsy - for me there is no doubt what Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton have done for this country cricket wise.

"If players wanted to miss part of the winter we would have to review it with each individual. I've been in that situation before with Graham Thorpe knocking on my door asking for the winter off and I know the coach has strong opinions on that."

Hussain faces a motivational task to lift a side already 3-0 down in the series and facing the prospect of a 5-0 whitewash.

"We have to get better - it's as simple as that," he insisted. "We've shown signs of recovery and competed against every other side in the world but we just haven't done it against Australia.

"The road doesn't just end because the Ashes are gone, we've got to carry on and try and continue to get better."

Hussain admits he is badly short of match practice. "I don't feel I've had a summer yet. We've got 10 very important days coming up which are no more or less important to me than what has just gone.

"In an ideal world I'd have played a couple of championship games for Essex before I came back but they were not there and with Australia over here and back to back Test matches coming up, I as captain have to come back and get stuck in."

Hussain is undecided about selection, with spinner Robert Croft retained in the 13-man party. If they decide to choose an all-seam attack, the final place alongside Alex Tudor, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick will presumably rest between Richard Johnson and Alan Mullally.