Nasser Hussain is preparing to return home early from England's successful tour of Sri Lanka with reputation enhanced and the plaudits ringing in his ears.

He may not be happy to be forced home with a thigh injury, but he will be buoyed by the Test series victory, and the admiration and respect that he has earned from his team.

One of England's heroes from the Colombo Test, Ashley Giles, has been effusive in praise of his captain, and spoke of the of the way in which Hussain helped him through a low period before the final Test in Colombo.

Hussain: A brilliant leader Photo © CricInfo

"Nasser has been absolutely brilliant," said Giles. "When I was struggling after the second Test a lot of people came up to me to give me advice, pushing it on me a little bit. I know they were only trying to help, but Nasser was totally different and just told me it was time to chill out and relax. That gave me the confidence to perform in the last Test.

"He just said that as long as I was fit enough to get on the park then that was good enough for him. That was a really nice statement, and it makes you want to give everything for him. I really like it when he refers to this team as his boys -- I like the fact that I'm his left-arm spinner."

"He's the sort of bloke you want to work hard for, one you want to do well for and it gives you such a lift when he takes time out to see you and talk you through things. He has been a brilliant leader, and every person in the team thinks that. They are all playing for each other, but especially for Nasser and Duncan Fletcher."

Giles also attributed some of England's success to the consistency of selection that the team has enjoyed in the last 12 months. He compared the England set-up now to the atmosphere at Edgbaston during their successful years of the mid-90s.

"We're a very good side now and we can go on to much better things. We've won four series in a row now, and winning does become a very good habit.

"During the good years I had at Warwickshire, the same sort of thing happened that is going on with England now with everybody knowing each other's games inside out. For a national team to be like that has been unheard of before now.

"It's like a county set-up with England and gives you the confidence to start believing you can do it against the best players, without taking anything for granted."

© CricInfo Ltd.