LONDON (Reuters)
England captain Nasser Hussain has agreed with his Australian opposite number Steve Waugh saying he thought the touring team should be allowed to take the Ashes urn back with them after winning the series.

"It's just my personal opinion but they have played such fine cricket that I think they should take it home," he said on the eve of the fifth and final Test.

But Hussain added the urn, which belongs to the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) where it is housed in a museum, should only be allowed to be taken to Australia if there is no risk of it being damaged. "It's a very special piece of history," he said.

Earlier Waugh confirmed he liked the idea of an Australian journalist, who had suggested the team could burn some bails and create their own trophy. "If someone does it, it would be a bit of fun," he said. "If you can't see it and can't touch it, what's the point of playing for it?"

Waugh, whose side lead the series 3-1 with the fifth and final Test starting on Thursday, added: "It's not as if we are going to leaveit at the airport or on the seat of the plane."

The MCC has argued that the urn, which is around 120 years old, was too fragile to be taken to Australia. It also already presented the Australians with a crystal trophy to act as a replacement trophy which is at stake each Ashes.

Australia have won the last seven Ashes series, with England's last victory coming back in 1986-87.

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