By JMB
October 6 2006

Jason Gillespie spent the summer in Yorkshire keeping Australian coach John Buchanan updated on Michael Vaughan's recovery. Vaughan yesterday outlined his plan to return to the England side for the latter stages of the Ashes series. Vaughan now insists that his knee has improved to the point he is targeting a Boxing Day Test comeback. This has come as no surprise to Buchanan as he has spoken with Gillespie throughout the summer.

Australia's coach expected England's Ashes-winning captain to play a role in this summer's Test series. Buchanan said "I never bought into the will-he-won't-he talk. We will wait and see what squad they bring, and if some of what has been suggested about him playing in the Ashes has been a smokescreen. To us, this news wasn't unexpected. We haven't been doing any specific scouting of him, but I have spoken to Jason a few times. He has been in and around the Yorkshire side and has been seeing how Vaughan is doing. We fully expect England to have a very similar side to the one that played in the last Ashes series. A fit Vaughan is important, not just to England as a batsman, but also in the way that he leads. I'm sure he'll do everything he can to play in the Ashes."

Should Vaughan return to the England Test side he would presumably reclaim the captaincy from Andrew Flintoff. The England team management have made it known that they still regard Vaughan as the captain, even when out injured, with Flintoff considered only a stand-in leader. Vaughan will join England's shadow squad at Paul Terry's academy in Perth. He will continue his rehabilitation there, hopeful of returning to England's helm for the Boxing Day Test.

Speaking about his recovery Vaughan said that "Everything would have to go perfectly between now and then, but it is in my mind. There is a small window of opportunity. I would have to make runs immediately in Perth and, of course, I would have to stay fit. It would also depend on the state of the series and how the England management are thinking. But it is definitely what I am aiming for and definitely a target. The twisting and turning involved in fielding will be the real test. The next month or so will confirm if it is progressing well or we have to take a bit of a backward step. My knee aches, but it was sore throughout the whole of the Ashes and there were many injections. I knew I wasn't right when I came back for Yorkshire but I am getting good feelings this time. There is not that give-way sensation, nothing of the jerking feeling. Before my operation I was feeling that when just walking straight or climbing stairs."