Aussies to test Vaughan's match fitness in one-dayers
by Cricket Archive Staff Reporter
DateLine: 10th January 2007
Australia will attempt to exploit Michael Vaughan's lack of match
fitness as the reinstated England captain during this month's
triangular one-day cricket series, coach John Buchanan said Sunday.
Vaughan was Sunday confirmed as England's captain in the tri-series,
taking over from Ashes skipper Andrew Flintoff.
It has been 18 months since Vaughan last played a one-day international
and 13 months since he played a Test. Although he has recovered from
knee surgery, he is yet to show how effective he is in the field and
running between wickets.
Buchanan wants his team to keep the heat on England after its
psychologically-damaging 5-0 Ashes series win, and defeat the tourists
during the one-day series, which starts next Friday at the Melbourne
Cricket Ground.
"We try to exploit any deficiency, whether it's technical, physical,
mental or tactical," Buchanan told reporters. "If we understand that
Michael's struggling physically, then that will be one area we will
like to target. That will be the same with anybody. If we can detect
weaknesses in their armoury, that will be an area we'll try to
exploit."
Australia will use the tri-series as a chance to create a buffer
between themselves and England and New Zealand ahead of the World Cup.
"Once we get to the West Indies (for the World Cup) we would have liked
to have set a gap between us and two of the teams we'll face over
there," Buchanan said. "We'd like to have them in some form of disarray
before they got there."
Vaughan averages only 28 in one-day cricket and has not scored a
century despite playing most of his 74 matches in the top order - but
his leadership could at least release the pressure on Flintoff.
Flintoff struggled with the responsibilities of the captaincy during
the Ashes series, but Buchanan said the abbreviated game meant his
powerful hitting and bowling made him a dangerous opponent, especially
without the burden of the captaincy.
"The one-day game is a different format," he said. "It shortens
everything down so it brings both sides much closer together and one
player can have an impact on the game rather quickly, of which he is
definitely one."
