Where next for Vaughan? (From Advertiser Series)

Where next for Vaughan?

11:20am Sunday 5th July 2009

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)

Michael Vaughan became the first visiting player in 32 years to score more than 600 runs in a series against Australia in 2002-03.

He hit three hundreds – at Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney – a run that partly prompted him to write a book called ‘Year in the Sun’.

To do that kind of thing against the likes of Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Andy Bichel and Stuart MacGill in front of a raucous Australian crowd baying for blood, Vaughan would have had to have remained cool, calm and collected.

Former Yorkshire and England colleague Matthew Hoggard said last week: “I’ll just remember his level-headedness.”

But perhaps the one endearing image of Vaughan that we will all remember for some time to come is of him in the arms of Andrew Flintoff, cupping and playfully pulling the all-rounder’s ears in celebration after winning the Edgbaston Test in 2005.

It was a momentary insight into Vaughan’s feeling of sheer relief, an emotion that the rest of the country was going through at that particular time.

“The way that every wicket in the match meant so much to Vaughany, just the way he saw a wicket and would jump on everybody’s back, celebrating massively,” said Hoggard, remembering his former skipper’s influence.

“He looked like he enjoyed that series. I’m sure he was under an immense amount of pressure, and underneath he wasn’t that calm, but just the way he handled himself was very good.”

The first time I heard anything about the possibility of Vaughan retiring was a week last Wednesday when Yorkshire played Durham at the Riverside in the Twenty20 Cup match – and I completely dismissed the notion.

Then I was in the car on Sunday morning listening to Kevin Howells on BBC Radio Five Live saying that Vaughan was in the Yorkshire dressing room saying his goodbyes to his county colleagues.

I still couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing but I now realise that I was a little bit naive in thinking that surely a bloke can’t change his mind in little over three months.

Sitting with Vaughan in Abu Dhabi on March 17, I asked him whether he would retire if he failed to make the Ashes squad this summer.

As you probably read earlier in the week, Vaughan said no and that he would be playing cricket somewhere next summer.

It seems a lack of runs, his recurring knee injury and a lack of enthusiasm for the game has quickly changed his mind.

We are all now waiting to see what he will do next. Will he go to Sky Sports? Will he caddy for Lee Westwood this week in Scotland? There are even one or two bookmakers suggesting that he could become the next Yorkshire coach.

Hoggard said: “I’ve got absolutely no idea, you’ll have to ask Yorkshire. I’m sure Michael will fade out and not want to do too much.

“I’ve been looking at his ball art with a good eye – and it IS art. He’s produced some wonderful creations. It looks like good fun and it’s just one of the many strings to his bow. You’ll be surprised by what he can do.

“He gave it his best shot to get back into the Ashes side. Unfortunately it didn’t happened from him and he realised it was time to move on.”

Despite winning the Ashes as captain in 2005, that series down under two years previously was, without doubt, one of Vaughan’s defining moments. To perform as he did against the world’s best side in their own back yard demonstrated the man’s class.

After a poor summer for Yorkshire, there was no way that Vaughan could have forced his way into the Ashes squad. But I still wouldn’t mind guessing that had you thrown him into battle at Cardiff this week, he wouldn’t have let anybody down.

I always got the feeling that he was one of those players that could turn on the form and focus when it really mattered.

Vaughan will stay in the game one way or another, most likely behind the microphone at some point. You can bet your bottom dollar he will be good at it too.

I would urge Yorkshire to get Vaughan involved on their coaching staff in some form. A role looking after the up-and-coming youngsters at the Academy would be perfect for him.

Maybe then we would see another Yorkshire and England captain who oozes the class their hero did.

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Comments(1)