Vaughan's international bid

Michael Vaughan in Australia © Getty Images

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England’s Michael Vaughan may be in-line for an international recall for next month’s Commonwealth Bank one-day series after successfully coming through his latest comeback match for the National Academy.

Vaughan made 14 in the Academy’s score of 186, which proved too many for the Western Australia 2nd XI to chase on Tuesday in South Perth.

The former England captain has not featured in a major international since returning home from India earlier this year with a recurrence of his long-standing knee problems.

Vaughan has subsequently undergone another operation but has stepped up his rehabilitation in recent weeks after being placed with England’s Academy players in Perth.

With his recovery now almost complete, Vaughan could be named in a 16-man squad to compete in a triangular tournament with Australia and New Zealand immediately following the Ashes series, which will serve as England’s final preparations before the World Cup.

Michael Vaughan and the Academy players get down to work © Getty Images

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Coach Duncan Fletcher confirmed: “It’s very positive. He’s been training with Nigel Stockill (team physiologist) and he’s moving around very freely.

“He says he hasn’t felt so good for some time so that’s very pleasing news. We’ll talk to the other selectors and they’ll obviously talk to Vaughan and talk to other people and a decision will be made whether he is in the form to play.”

Vaughan’s inclusion in the one-day series had always been the long-term plan and Fletcher once again confirmed Vaughan would not be considered for the back-to-back Tests at Melbourne and Sydney which complete the series, and stressed that Vaughan may not necessarily replace stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff as skipper for the one-dayers.

“The players have been very happy with Flintoff,” confirmed Fletcher. “We’ll have to take that decision when we select the one-day side, but it’s not an easy job selecting any side and those are the sort of things we must take into consideration.”

Fletcher has given his support to stand-in captain Flintoff, hero during the 2005 Ashes series success.

Fletcher added: “He’s done a good job. He’s led from the front. He probably hasn’t got the runs he’d have liked but he’s bowled as well as he can and he’s done a good job for England.

“You have to remember how many Tests he’s captained before. Between him and Andrew Strauss they have not captained many Tests, which were the two we had to choose from.

“He’s been thrown onto a tour of Australia, which is always a difficult tour whether you’re experienced or inexperienced. It’s a difficult job and considering all that he’s done as well as he possibly could.”