England cricket icon Nasser Hussain faced a frustrating start to the second Ashes Test in Brisbane after being refused entry to the Gabba stadium due to a problem with his accreditation.
Accreditation Chaos at the Gate
The former England captain, who is now a leading pundit for Sky Sports, arrived at the famous ground on Thursday, 4 December 2025, only to be turned away by ground staff. The 57-year-old revealed he was left stunned at the reception, given his long history with Australian cricket.
"They wouldn't let me in," Hussain told Sky Sports. "I mean for everything I've done for Australian cricket, at this particular ground (I couldn't believe it). I turned up, showed my accreditation, they wouldn't let me in."
Thankfully, the issue was resolved around half an hour later when officials from Cricket Australia intervened to correct the pass. Interestingly, fellow ex-England skipper and colleague Michael Atherton, who was also at the ground, did not encounter the same problem.
Fire Alarm Adds to Gabba Drama
The drama, however, did not end there. Shortly after Hussain and others finally gained access to the venue, the entire media and staff contingent was forced to evacuate.
"The moment I got in, we all got kicked out again," Hussain explained. "There was a fire alarm and fire engines and everything."
Reports confirmed that a smoke detector in an outdoor kitchen had been activated, prompting the emergency response. Firefighters rushed to the scene, and the stadium was temporarily cleared as a precaution.
A History of Gabba Woes for Hussain
This incident adds to Hussain's catalogue of unforgettable Gabba experiences, the most infamous being during the 2002 Ashes series. As England captain, he won the toss and elected to field first in sweltering heat—a decision that backfired spectacularly.
Australia amassed a mammoth first-innings total of 492 and went on to secure a crushing victory. It remains a moment Australian fans love to recall, while England supporters have tried to forget it.
England's record at the Gabba is notoriously poor, with their last Test victory in Brisbane coming in 1986. The early stages of this second Test seemed to follow the familiar script, with Australia's Mitchell Starc reducing England to 5-2 within nine deliveries.
However, a resilient partnership of 117 runs between Zak Crawley (76) and Joe Root offered the tourists a fighting chance to break the long-standing hoodoo.
