Sky Sports.com

You have to remember that there are so many political things going on behind the scenes. It is a matter of if you scratch our back, we will scratch yours.

Nasser Hussain
Quotes of the week

Nasser Hussain says that the ICC missed the perfect opportunity to make a bold statement regarding Zimbabwe.

Hussain's comments came after Zimbabwe avoided being suspended by the ICC after a last-minute compromise saw them agree to pull out of next year's World Twenty20 Championship in England.

However Hussain said that the decision was all about internal politics.

"It is not particularly surprising really," said Hussain on Sky Sports News.

"The ICC have always been known to fudge issues like this. They are more concerned with internal politics and about who will vote for who in the future.

"The Zimbabwe vote is important to certain countries and cricket had a great opportunity to make a statement, whether it be a political one or just a statement on the state of Zimbabwe cricket and the demise of it, which is a smaller issue, but still an important one. But they have missed the chance.

"Zimbabwe will leave happy because they have got the funding and are still a member of the ICC.

"Everyone apart from the people in Zimbabwe will be happy today. I feel that world cricket really missed an opportunity.

"You have to remember that there are so many political things going on behind the scenes. It is a matter of if you scratch our back, we will scratch yours.

"That is the way the ICC and people around that table would have been operating.

"I think the British government have come out the best as they have finally made a stand and taken it out of the ECB's hands and said that they will not let Zimbabwe come over here.

"That is what has been lacking from world cricket. Whatever they did would have been minimal and would have had no affect on the people in Zimbabwe.

"Would it have been better in Zimbabwe if they had been banned from the ICC? Probably not, but at least there would have been a bold statement from the cricketing world.

"The ICC go on about the spirit of the game - well that should apply to world bodies as well."