Hussain gave total support to his successor as captain

"His focus, preparation and the passion he showed in wearing an England shirt are qualities that I really admire," said England skipper Vaughan.

Fletcher formed a close bond with Hussain during the latter's captaincy tenure between 1999 and 2003.

"I know how deeply he cares about English cricket," Fletcher commented.

"In taking this decision I hope people realise that he has tried to do what is best for the England team rather than the individual.

"His desire and will to win are an object lesson to any cricketer out there who aspires to play for England and I know that we will all miss him in the changing rooms."

Former England teammate Craig White described Hussain as a "brilliant" captain.

He had a great cricket brain and was always willing to pass on advice Craig White

"I owe a lot to Nasser for believing in me and giving me a chance to prove myself.

"He was the main reason behind my resurgence in 2000 so that's something I have to thank Nasser for. I learnt a lot from him cricket-wise too," White told BBC Sport.

"He only had one way to play his cricket and that was as hard as he could that's why he had a great career."

Giving youngsters greater opportunities was one of the reasons given by Hussain for his decision.

But opener Andrew Strauss, who made 112 and 83 in his debut Test against New Zealand, said England would be weaker without him in the short term.

"I have mixed feelings really. It was a fairytale finish for him - to score a hundred to win the game for England was a fantastic way for him to bow out and I'm sure when he's older and greyer he'll have great memories of the way he finished his Test career.

"The other side of the coin is that the England side will be worse without him in it for a while.

"Nasser was a fantastic fighter and when things got tricky, he'd always come through. Now it's up to someone to take that on board and do his job."