England’s new test captain, Michael Vaughan, is hoping for a team that will beat South Africa in the next test in 10 days and eventually win the five-match series.
South Africa outplayed England in the second test by an innings and 92 runs at Lord’s to take a 1-0 lead and probably would have won the opener at Edgbaston last week had rain not washed out four sessions.
That test ended in a draw.
Skipper Graeme Smith scored a record 259 before fast bowler Makhaya Ntini became the first South African bowler to take 10 wickets in Vaughan’s captaincy debut at Lord’s. Only Andy Flintoff’s whirlwind innings of 142 runs on the final day lifted England’s spirits.
”This week, I’ll sit down and discuss a few things with the selectors,” said Vaughan, who took over from Nasser Hussain after Hussain quit last week. ”I’d had one day in the job and the game started. When someone resigns on Monday and someone else takes over for a Thursday start, it’s never the easy route. But we got on with it, and we’re honest enough to say we just didn’t play well enough.”
At the start of the cricket season, it was decided the captain wouldn’t sit on the four-man selection committee alongside chair David Graveney, Geoff Miller, academy coach Rodney Marsh and England coach Duncan Fletcher.
The captain’s views are considered.
”I want to discuss where we want to go and decide what role I’d like to take. But for the moment I am not a selector, I am just a captain,” said Vaughan.
”I will think about the team and also a team which I think will beat South Africa at Trent Bridge. That’s all the input I can give.
”I am keen on having a team that I think can beat South Africa, whether we look to the future, I don’t know, but first and foremost we have to put in a better performance at Trent Bridge.”
A player who might feature is batsman Graham Thorpe. There were suggestions Vaughan didn’t want Thorpe — one of the best batsmen in England — on the team.
”Thorpe is a fantastic player, and he has been for England for a number of years. If he’s right in his state of mind and personal life, I am sure he may get a selection,” Vaughan said.
Winning the one-day final against South Africa last month and drawing at Edgbaston might have led to some complacency, Fletcher said.
”Last time we were walking away as a really good side,” he said, referring to the one-day final. ”Suddenly you come back, and cricket jumps up and punches you in the face. Hold on, get back down to earth.
”There could have been some complacency, to come here [and] find the guys relaxing, thinking we saved that game quite comfortably.” Fletcher was critical of his batsmen but was sympathetic toward his bowlers, saying that playing on ”flat” pitches didn’t help England’s seam and swing attack.
”[To play] one or two games on a flat wicket [and] get it right, it’s not easy. They’ve got to learn how to play on flat wickets,” he said.
”I’ve said on numerous occasions, when we played on flat wickets they seemed to struggle. The line and lengths changed. You’ve got to make sure that you quickly pick up on that line and length.” – Sapa-AP