Nasser Hussain today flexed his muscles as England's captain to insist he has a major say in the selection for the next Test squad, even if he is not involved as a player.

Hussain's fractured right middle finger, sustained during fielding on the third day of England's nine-wicket second Test defeat at Lord's, is likely to sideline him for the next meeting with New Zealand at Old Trafford on August 5.

However, he intends the line-up to be very much his choice when he sits down with fellow selectors David Graveney, Mike Gatting and Graham Gooch next weekend following the disappointment of Lord's.

"I will have as much say as I can with this next Test side," stressed Hussain, who plans to be with the team in Manchester even if he fails to recover in time to take his place.

"It was a poor performance at Lord's. It comes down to individuals and individuals' responsibility for batting for long periods of time."

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