Vaughan not suffering fools

Michael Vaughan was back in action with a hundred on his return to Tests © Getty Images

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Michael Vaughan’s reaction might have appeared a little dismissive when he first discovered he is level with Peter May as England’s most successful Test captain.

Asked whether he was aware his 20th win at the helm took him joint top in the all-time list, Vaughan replied succinctly in the negative.

The follow-up from the back row of the post-match press conference at Headingley - “Do you care?” - was lost among the louder tones of another inquisitor, anxious to push the England captain towards a different ’angle’.

It was only when one last question was posed several minutes later, left-field but from wide on the right wing of this particular gathering, that another Vaughan response gave perhaps a truer insight into what makes him tick.

“What did it feel like to be out there playing on the coldest day in English Test cricket history?” came the off-beat, throwaway inquiry.

Vaughan quickly made it clear he was not inclined to answer. Instead, noting what a bumper day it had evidently been for statistics, he had a couple of rhetorical questions of his own.

“Are there any more?” he wondered.

"Is Ryan Sidebottom the bloke with the longest hair ever to have played for England?"

“Is Ryan Sidebottom the bloke with the longest hair ever to have played for England?” Without waiting for a redundant reply, Vaughan left the building - followed by man of the match Kevin Pietersen, alerted by an authoritative ’Let’s go’ from his captain that this set-piece was over.

Pietersen’s immediate readiness to follow the main man’s lead is instructive in itself.

Such pavlovian compliance from one of the most charismatic cricketers of modern times is some indication of the captain’s authority.

Yet there is maybe more to gleaned from Vaughan’s behaviour than merely that he commands respect from his high-profile colleagues, or even that he knows how to deliver an amusing quip.

At least as telling is his determination to deal with the here and now - on this occasion the fact that England had just beaten the West Indies out of sight and had played pretty well to do so, give or take some ongoing qualms over the bowling of Steve Harmison and Liam Plunkett.

Vaughan was present to talk about one cricket match, very well won by England on the back of a century from his own bat - in his first match back after 18 months out injured - and a maiden double hundred from Pietersen.

Vaughan was perfectly happy to elaborate on all cricketing matters relating to the Test

On all related questions, he duly elaborated as required; he was also happy to look forward to England’s next assignment at Old Trafford, and dealt too with occasional periphery to suit less obvious agendas.

On reflection, Vaughan would doubtless have been more forthcoming on the Peter May issue - and he can expect to have to be when he and England go in search of a record-breaking 21st win in Manchester next week.

The suspicion is, though, that even then he will not want to dwell on the potential distraction of those damned statistics.

It is a reluctance Vaughan shares with the equally admirable Ricky Ponting, and there seems little likelihood the twin characteristic is mere coincidence.

It is not by chance that Ponting, so hurt by Australia’s surprise 2005 Ashes defeat, responded by re-establishing his country’s aura of invincibility and trouncing England 5-0 in the first available rematch - all the while remaining one of the world’s best batsmen.

Similarly, there is little doubt it took not just a special cricketer but a special character to survive - as Vaughan has - career-threatening knee surgery, several ominous prognoses and thwarted comebacks to make that hundred on his home ground last Friday.

Neither Vaughan nor Ponting got their rewards, it seems safe to conclude, by entertaining irrelevancies - even those as innocuous as the unreliable Yorkshire climate - along the way.