Vaughan backs elder seamers

Stuart Broad has replaced Steve Harmison in the second Test line-up © Getty Images

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Watch Michael Vaughan's press conference ahead of the second Test now on ECBtv

England captain Michael Vaughan has challenged Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison to bounce back from being dropped by England and continue their Test careers.

England reacted to their 189-run defeat in the first Test by removing their two most experienced bowlers for the second match in Wellington.

Despite being two key members of the 2005 Ashes-winning line-up and boasting 456 victims from 123 Test appearances between them, Harmison and Hoggard's struggles both in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka before Christmas and at Seddon Park last week counted against them.

Instead, England are banking on the potential of 21-year-old Stuart Broad and 25-year-old James Anderson to try and get them back into the series at the Basin Reserve alongside the dependability of left-arm seamer Ryan Sidebottom.

But Vaughan believes it would be premature to believe this is the end of Hoggard and Harmison’s England careers just yet.

“It’s not a nice thing for me to do to go and tell two players that I’ve played basically all my Test cricket with that they’re not going to be in the team,” admitted Vaughan.

“I really hope they react in a positive fashion and if they don’t play next week, make sure they go back and start the season well for their counties and try and get themselves back into the Test team.

“I hope those two senior guys fight their way back in. We all know how both of them can bowl and at the minute they’re just not bowling to the standards they’ve set themselves. I hope they can get back to those standards and put themselves in a position to get back into the team.”

James Anderson has been given a chance to force his way back in © Getty Images

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Harmison, once regarded as the fastest bowler in the world, struggled to get above 80mph consistently during the opening Test and was being chased by Nottinghamshire seamer Broad, who impressed during the recent one-day series defeat in New Zealand.

Hoggard improved as the Test wore on in Hamilton after also struggling for pace and accuracy on the opening two days, but has been replaced by Anderson, who claimed 2-95 from 38 overs when he played domestic cricket for Auckland last week.

“Hoggy has been and hopefully still will be a tremendous bowler for England once again,” insisted Vaughan. “He’s always been a dream to captain and I would expect to captain Matthew Hoggard once again in the not too distant future because that’s the type of character he is.

“It’s always disappointing for someone to miss out but it’s a hugely exciting time for the players we have selected. They are two young lads with a lot of talent and hopefully they can thrive with the extra responsibility they’ve been given.”

Vaughan added: “Jimmy’s had overs under his belt during the last week and apparently he bowled well. We have seen Jimmy Anderson playing international cricket for a while now and he’s got a hell of a lot of talent.

“If you look back to the India series last year he was man of the series for us, played one game in Sri Lanka and got dropped, so he deserves his chance and hopefully he can take that.

“He will be looking to establish himself in the Test match team for the distant future and that’s the opportunity there for all the players selected.”