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| January 08, 2007 | Monday | Zilhaj 17, 1427 |
Vaughan takes over from Flintoff as England captain
SYDNEY, Jan 7: Michael Vaughan will resume as England captain in Tuesday's Twenty20 game against Australia and the triangular one-day series. The top-order batsman, out of international cricket for a year with a knee injury, takes over from stand-in skipper Andrew Flintoff, who led the team to their 5-0 Ashes drubbing.
“It's a great feeling to be back playing again and to be in the squad, but it's an added bonus to be back as captain,” Vaughan told a news conference on Sunday.
“The team have had a really tough time on this tour and it's my job as captain to try and lift them and produce some competitive performances.
“We haven't had a huge amount of one-day success in the last year or so and it will be interesting to see how the team are when I first go into the dressing room.”
Chairman of selectors David Graveney said Vaughan's return would provide a major lift for the side.
“It will be a fantastic boost for everyone to have Michael Vaughan back as captain for the one-day series,” Graveney said.
“It is to Andrew Flintoff's credit he was prepared to take on the responsibility of leading the Test side in Australia in Michael's absence.
“But Michael is the England captain and he will now begin the task of preparing the team for the challenges that lie ahead this winter.”
Vaughan, who led England to a 2-1 series win in the 2005 Ashes, has not played for his country since a Test against Pakistan in Lahore in December that year.
The 32-year-old made a failed attempt at a comeback with Yorkshire last season and needed his fourth knee operation.
He has been proving his fitness in Australia and had hoped to appear in the Tests but will now return in the Twenty20 game in Sydney and the triangular series also involving New Zealand which begins on Jan 12.
Vaughan's One-day International batting record is not particularly impressive, with a top score of 90 in 74 matches and an average of only 28.
“This a fresh start for me personally and the team,” Vaughan said. “I feel like a little kid who has just got back on his bike and as a team we have to start afresh. 2006 was not a great year for us but 2007 can be a lot better.”
Vaughan said his first job after taking back the England captaincy was to rebuild his team's shattered confidence after their humiliating Ashes defeat.
“I do expect that there will be a few mental frailties because of what's happened but that can soon change once you start winning a few games,” Vaughan said.
“I inherit a very talented team, but there will be an effect from the 5-0 Ashes whitewash. Anyone who says there won't will be lying.”
Vaughan said the players needed to accept they had played poorly in the Ashes and move on to the next challenge.
“We won the Ashes in 2005 and collectively took all the praise, and we have to collectively take the criticism now,” he said.
“We have made mistakes and we're sorry for that, but this is a great challenge for us to try and pick ourselves up.
“Mentally the players are going to be tested, because they will have been hurt and affected by the Ashes series. My job is to try and ensure that they're not affected that much.”
Vaughan said one of his most important tasks was to help all-rounder Flintoff rediscover his form.
Flintoff struggled during the Ashes after being handed the captaincy and Vaughan said he hoped he would return to his best after being freed of the extra responsibility.
“My challenge as a captain is to get Freddie (Flintoff) back to playing how he did a year or so ago, when we all saw him being a leader by the way he batted, bowled and fielded,” Vaughan said.
“It's a great job but a tough job, being captain. He's done a remarkable job in my view under the circumstances, the pressure that he's been under.”
—Reuters
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