"Everyone in the game should respect that" - Nasser Hussain on Virat Kohli and Harry Brook skipping matches due to personal reasons

Nasser Hussain has wished Virat Kohli well after the ace batter pulled out of the first two Tests against England. The former England skipper believes both Kohli and Harry Brook deserve respect for skipping matches due to personal reasons.

Brook has withdrawn out of all five Tests as the ECB released a statement on Sunday of the need to give him privacy. On Monday, the BCCI released a statement as Kohli decided to skip the first two matches.

In his column for The Daily Mail, Hussain wrote in this regard:

"My first thought is that we wish Virat well. Like Brook, he's taken a step back for personal reasons, and everyone in the game should respect that. Some things are more important than cricket."

Nevertheless, Hussain reckons the series will feel Kohli's absence, given how well he has discovered his touch.

"But there's no doubt that India, and the series, will miss him. He's also been in great form, and his absence from Thursday's first Test at Hyderabad and next week's second at Visakhapatnam deprives fans all over the world from watching a genius at work," he added.

Hussain added that that the former Indian captain's absence has given England some sniff early on.

"That said, any team would suffer when a player of Kohli's class drops out, and it gives England a glimmer of hope in the first two Tests of a series in which they begin as clear underdogs."

Kohli was in supreme during the recent South Africa tour against a strong bowling attack in tricky conditions. In 28 Tests against England, Kohli averages a shade over 40 with 1,991 runs.

"Being at the World Cup late last year was a reminder of the claustrophobic lives" - Nasser Hussain

Team India. (Image Credits: Twitter)

Hussain also empathized with the Indian players, given how their stardom affects them negatively at times.

"One other thought about Kohli's decision. Being at the World Cup late last year was a reminder of the claustrophobic lives these Indian players lead. I was at the hotel gym one day when I saw KL Rahul being mobbed by fans on the short walk from the gym to the lifts," he said.

The 96-Test veteran respected them for their full dedication towards the game despite getting to spend less time with the family.

"These guys get no respite from a life spent, it seems, either on the field or in their hotels, and it amazes me how few of them have felt the need to step back from the game for a while to spend time with their families. I'm full of admiration for the way in which Indian cricketers have managed to balance the amount they play, all over the world, with the goldfish-bowl lifestyle they lead," Hussain added.

England will face trial by spin in the upcoming Test series against India, beginning on January 25 in Hyderabad.