Chairman of selectors David Graveney refused to be drawn on
whether Michael Vaughan will captain England in the one-day series
in Australia after the Yorkshire player was included in the squad.
The 32-year-old has not played international cricket since
being forced home from the tour of India in March with a recurrence of
his knee injury for which he subsequently underwent surgery.
In his absence Andrew Strauss and Andrew Flintoff
led the team with the latter awarded the captaincy for the disastrous Ashes
Test series, in which England find themselves 3-0 down with two Tests
to play.
Graveney, however, would not confirm whether Vaughan will guide
the team for the tri-series against Australia and New Zealand at the
conclusion of the Ashes.
Graveney told Sky Sports: "We have announced the squad without a captain
with various reasons for that. We want to make sure everything is clearly focused
on the task in Melbourne (fourth Test) which will be enormous.
"So we will deal with the captaincy at the conclusion of the Sydney Test
match."
When asked if it would be difficult for Strauss and Flintoff if Vaughan was
to return as captain, Graveney said: "I don't know if it will be difficult
or not but again I've stressed the fact we want to focus on what happens in
Melbourne.
"This is the announcement of the squad, we will monitor Michael's fitness
and then make a decision about who will captain at the end of the Sydney Test
match."
Graveney insisted Vaughan's fitness would be uppermost with the Manchester-born
player having endured a slow recovery from persistent injury although there
had been optimism he could have returned for the conclusion of the Ashes.
"We always thought the one-day series was a realistic target and his selection
is subject to fitness," continued Graveney.
"So we have an extra couple of weeks and he is now within the England
camp. We will monitor his fitness and make a decision after the Sydney Test
match."
The former Gloucestershire and Somerset batsman did though admit Vaughan's
presence had been missed after England's drubbing in Australia with the hosts
targeting a 5-0 whitewash.
"He has been one of our leading players. He made a massive
contribution in 2005 but that would apply to the likes of Marcus (Trescothick)
and Simon Jones as well but it gives the opportunity to others.
"But there is a limit to how many senior players you can take out of the
equation.
"For instance, if Marcus had have been playing Alastair Cook might not
have been in the team.
"So there has been an opportunity for the younger guys and some of them
have taken it."
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