Sunday, December 28, 2008

Vaughan awaits England decision

Michael Vaughan
The selectors will have deliberated long and hard over Vaughan

Former captain Michael Vaughan could return to England's Test squad when the selectors reveal two parties to tour the West Indies at 1100 GMT on Monday.

Vaughan stood down as captain in August after a poor run of form and was dropped for the recent tour of India.

If the 34-year-old does return, he would probably deprive Owais Shah of a place, although both could tour if the out-of-form Ian Bell is dropped.

England will play three Tests, five one-dayers and one Twenty20 match.

Vaughan's central contract was retained by the England and Wales Cricket Board at the end of the summer.

The two parties agreed a formula for his recuperation in time for a possible return in time for the 2009 Ashes, involving a period of rest followed by low-profile opportunities to rediscover his best form with England's performance squad.

However the November terrorist attacks in Mumbai forced the abandonment of Vaughan's planned match practice with England's second string.

The performance squad's next assignment is a trip to New Zealand, and though that would be the logical step for Vaughan, it may not be the route taken by the selectors.

606: DEBATE
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England coach Peter Moores spoke on Christmas Eve of his admiration of Vaughan, calling him "outstanding as an individual but also a fantastic player".

The recent frailties of Bell at number three in the batting order further complicate the issue.

But Shah, who had a fine season for Middlesex last summer and won recent praise from Moores, provides an obvious alternative to Bell, who has had just one century and one fifty in his last nine Tests.

Vaughan appears to be in an optimistic frame of mind, telling the Mail on Sunday: "Hopefully, I'll go to the Caribbean. If not, I'll go and play some cricket somewhere to give myself the best chance of starting the season and having one more crack at the Aussies - or two.

"When you get to 33 or 34 you don't get many more opportunities as a professional cricketer. So the next opportunity I get, I'm going to have to make the most of it."

Fast bowler Steve Harmison was dropped for the second Test in India, but has a fine record against West Indies and seems certain to be named.

Monday's announcement will also provide the selectors with an opportunity to provide an update on Ryan Sidebottom's fitness, with Kent's Amjad Khan presumably a possibility to provide back-up given that he went to India.

The balance of England's one-day squad looked all wrong in India, with an obvious absence of attacking specialist batsmen.

At least one of the two slow-scoring batsmen, Bell or Alastair Cook, could be dropped, and Luke Wright might also be deemed surplus to requirements given the surfeit of all-rounders about.

One of the Kent pair of Joe Denly and Robert Key will hope to win promotion from the performance squad.

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