Captaincy interests Vaughan

Michael Vaughan practises in Australia © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Michael Vaughan would be interested in the England captaincy “if it became available”.

However, he insisted he is not the missing link between England’s triumphant 2005 success over Australia and this winter’s failed campaign to retain the Ashes.

The Yorkshire batsman has been sidelined for the best part of a year with prolonged right knee trouble, which resulted in a further operation and an lengthy rehabilitation programme.

His absence from England’s line-up - and in particular his leadership and tactical skills - is regarded as key to Australia reclaiming the Ashes with victories in the opening three Tests.

But Vaughan, who has been named in England’s 16-man one-day squad for the triangular tournament with Australia and New Zealand in the new year, claims the result may not have been any different had he led the side rather than stand-in captain Andrew Flintoff.

“Whoever would have led the team out here, it would have been a very difficult tour,” said Vaughan. “If myself or Andrew Strauss had led the team it would still have been a difficult tour.

“The finger gets pointed at the captain and the coach too often when things go wrong.

“What we did in 2005 was to take collective adulation and now we’ve lost 3-0, the fingers should be pointing at the whole of Team England and not just a couple of individuals - who is to say if I’d have an input, it might have gone even worse?”

Michael Vaughan in action for the National Academy earlier this month © Getty Images

Buy this photo

Vaughan believes Flintoff, who has also struggled with discomfort around his left ankle and a loss of form with the bat, has done a good job on a tour he regards as the toughest of them all.

The selectors are still to decide whether Vaughan, who still has to prove his fitness before the start of the one-day series, Flintoff or Strauss will lead the side after the Test series.

But after nearly a year in rehabilitation, Vaughan is content to be in the mix again, stressing: “I’m just delighted to be back in the squad.

“The decision on the captain will be made out of my hands in the next couple of weeks and I’ve had no indication of which way they’re going to go.

“There are two Tests to go and Freddie has done a decent job in hard circumstances so we’ll see how it goes in the next couple of weeks and I’m sure they’ll make a decision then.

“If the captaincy became available then of course I’d be interested because I think it’s one of the best jobs in the world, but I’m sure Freddie and Andrew Strauss would be saying exactly the same thing.”

Vaughan added: “It’s been a tough series and captaining against Australia is totally different to any other series in the way they put you under pressure as captain and as a team is very hard to take.

“Freddie has managed very well. He’d be the first to admit he’d have liked to have scored a few more runs, but I think he’s handled it very well.

“If they’d have asked for my input I would have given them as honest an answer as I possibly could. Sometimes you just have to get on with it and that’s exactly what Freddie and Duncan have done it the way they wanted to do it.

“It’s come unstuck a little bit but I’m sure they won’t regret any decision they’ve made, they’ve gone on gut feeling and instinct but Australia have just played better cricket.”

Vaughan has experience of being in the position England now find themselves in after being part of the side who lost the first three Tests four years, only to suffer a narrow defeat in Melbourne and win in Sydney.

He is hoping the current England team can perform a similar revival and believes they need look no further than their Australian opponents as an example of how to bounce back strongly.

“We have to do exactly what Australia did in 2005 and they understood that England had played better cricket than them and they asked the question 'why?'” said Vaughan.

“I think we have to the same and ask the question why Australia have played better than us in this instance. We’ve got to re-group and come together with a plan and make sure we get our cricket back on track.

“I’m sure they will be looking at the last two games to try to win 5-0 and that’s our motivation to make sure that doesn’t happen.

“We were in exactly the same situation last time around and played a good game of cricket here and nearly beat them in Melbourne and then went on to Sydney and won that game.

“We’ve got an abundance of talent and many waiting in the wings so English cricket is in a good stage and we just have to play well in the last couple of games to try and get it back on track.”