Six and Out - Some Serious Cricket

The Aussies aren’t fazed. I am.

by SixandOut on October 6th, 2006

Michael Vaughan was a great England captain. Inspirational. Led the team to a series of victories, ultimately summeting with the Ashes. Hurray for The Ashes! As every English cricket fan clings relentlessly to the victory (much like English Rugby Union fans cling tenuously to the fact that England, are, technically World Champions, even though my mum’s “Wednesday club” would give Andy Robinson’s boys a good run-about at the moment) talk has obviously shifted to the forthcoming Ashes. Can England retain the Ashes? Will they actually just get stuffed 5-0 in the biggest anti-climax since the Segway? These are all questions that will be answered in due course.

But I really wish they’d just put one question to bed. Michael Vaughan. Every week, some different story about Vaughan comes out. Recently it was that he’d be fit to play in the one-day series in Australia. Most recently it was that he might be fit to play the final two tests of the series. Yes, Vaughan was a great captain. Yes, Vaughan has a great record against the Australians in Australia. But these are all past tense things. Vaughan has been out of action for 11 months with recurring knee injuries (even though he’s fit enough to play golf?). They’re talking about turning out for the English national cricket side, in an overseas tour, against a team that are streets ahead in terms of fitness, class and all out “We want to win” mentality in about 6 weeks time. This from a man, who, no more than a few weeks ago, could barely walk (but can play golf?).

Irrespective of how Vaughan feels about this, I suppose only he can really assess his own fitness and how well he is recovering. But no team manager in their right mind would play Vaughan in an England side against the Australians in the most important event of the cricketing calendar. A man who does not have match fitness. It’s not that he hasn’t even played in 11 months - it’s that he’s not even been fit. There will be no indication of whether he even knows which side of a cricket bat to use. It’s ludicrous.

And those are fitness concerns only. What’s more, consider the impact of any return he might make. He said for the final 2 tests of the series. So - the England boys are expected to go out there, play 3 test matches (win, lose or draw) with a set XI and Freddie as captain, THEN, halfway through the series, boot some poor player out of the team, demote Freddie back to only being best team in the player, and follow the leadership of a man who hasn’t played cricket in a year? It’s totally lacking in logic.

Please, Michael, know when enough’s enough. You’ve missed your chance. Do what everyone else does. Get fit, get some match practice, and get your place back in the team. And for now, do shut up.

[Sorry for being a bit sporadic in the last couple of weeks. I’ve had all kinds of things going on. Hopefully get back up to full speed shortly.]

Share This

Related Stories

• Gilo to play in Australia. Maybe.
• Aussies aren’t so tough.
• Australia win World Cup
• Quote of the Week: Haughty Aussies
• Back From Hiatus, and It’s Bad

POSTED IN: Cricket