LONDON, Nov 12: England captain Michael Vaughan says he cannot wait for his team's controversial tour of Zimbabwe to be over. Vaughan, one of four senior players offered the chance to miss the trip, leads a depleted team to Zimbabwe for five One-day Internationals before heading for South Africa.

"I did not want to pass the buck by not going," he said. "It's not a tour I'm particularly looking forward to. I'm looking forward to it being over and getting to South Africa for a real tough test series," Vaughan told British newspapers.

England forfeited a World Cup match in Zimbabwe last year after the players voiced concerns about security and the human rights record of President Robert Mugabe's administration.

Vaughan's squad flies out to Namibia on Monday to prepare for the one-day series in Zimbabwe, which starts on Nov 26. Opening batsman Marcus Trescothick and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff are resting, while fast bowler Steve Harmison pulled out on moral grounds. -Reuters