No early comeback for Vaughan at this stage, says Fletcher by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Player:	MP Vaughan
Event:	England in Australia 2006/07

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DateLine: 28th November 2006

 

Coach Duncan Fletcher sees little chance of sidelined captain Michael Vaughan returning to help shore up England's faltering campaign to hold on to the Ashes against Australia. Vaughan is in Australia to receive treatment from the England team's medical staff on his knee following surgery in July and has been mentioned as having a chance of playing some part in the five-Test series. His availability has become more topical following England's 277-run savaging by the Australians in the Ashes opener in Brisbane on Monday. But Fletcher says he is hoping Vaughan will play for England in the triangular one-day tournament with New Zealand in Australia that immediately follows the Ashes series in January. "We haven't altered those targets on him, we're still planning to have him hopefully for the one-dayers and if anything comes earlier than that then well and good," Fletcher told reporters in Adelaide Tuesday. "I don't think he can play in this Test series, at this stage. I'm not going to say when he's going to play (for England) again until he's played some games of cricket and he's come out and he's 100 percent. He's hoping to play a few practice games with the English academy team in Western Australia." Fletcher said he has spoken many times with Vaughan in recent weeks and also extensively during England's campaign in the Champions' Trophy one-day tournament in India last month. "We've spoken a lot to Michael Vaughan, like I do with other senior players," he said. "He seems to be pretty positive, he's working hard at his game, he had a couple of nets sessions." Vaughan's steadying influence was considered a major factor behind England's Ashes success last year. His batting was critical to the final outcome, scoring a sublime 166 in the first innings of the third Old Trafford Test, then backing up for a vital 58 in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge. Vaughan is now with the England Academy side in Perth and is expected to play in a match with them on Wednesday.