By Dave Field

ENGLAND'S triumphant cricketers received a heroes' welcome on their return home this morning, with captain Nasser Hussain claiming: "Finally we have some reward to bring back to the country".

Victory over Pakistan in the final Test in Karachi brought England their first series win on foreign soil since New Zealand 1996/97 and followed home successes over Zimbabwe and West Indies earlier this year.

It capped a marvellous 12 months for Hussain and coach Duncan Fletcher, who have dragged English cricket out of the doldrums, and the tired-looking captain told a press conference at Heathrow: "This is the best.

"Beating West Indies was great because of the euphoria in England at the time, winning at Lord's and stuff like that.

"But I think if we played well against West Indies we were expected to do that. I don't think anyone gave us a chance when we went out to Pakistan for the first time in 13 years.

"To go out there and do what we have achieved is magnificent. It is a better performance."

Hussain, facing questions within an hour of stepping off the long-haul flight from Pakistan via Dubai, toasted a "good year" for English cricket.

He said: "It's been a good year for cricket in England.

"We are just pleased to be back. We have got a couple of weeks off before Duncan's got us running around again.

"We have just formed a team that have stuck together, not chopped and changed too much. We believe in each other, try to stay in games and not look too far ahead, play for each other; all cliches, but do the basics - and Duncan instils that."