MICHAEL VAUGHAN believes captain Andrew Strauss should be rested for the tour of Bangladesh to give England the best possible opportunity of retaining the Ashes in Australia.
Strauss flew out with his squad at the weekend for a tough tour of South Africa which follows hot on the heels of a gruelling summer schedule, which included a World Twenty 20 tournament and the Champions Trophy on top of England's Ashes victory. After two 20 over and five 50 over internationals against the Proteas, as well as four Tests, England move next onto Bangladesh before another busy summer leads up to a trip to Australia.Strauss and coach Andy Flower were not slow to rest overworked players this summer giving the likes of James Anderson and Paul Collingwood a break during the one-day series against Ricky Ponting's men. And Vaughan, who skippered England to Ashes success in 2005, believes Strauss must take time away himself to ensure he is mentally ready for the challenges ahead."I think he should be rested," Vaughan said. "You've got to look at the bigger picture. The guys are playing far too much."It's not the actual playing side, it's the mental side of being away and constantly being in a cricket environment."So just taking Straussy out for a three-week break will regenerate his energy levels going into next summer and we have to have all our players fit and firing for next winter which is the big one – the Ashes."However, resting Strauss would of course bring up another major issue in who could then take over the captaincy.The abrupt departure of Kevin Pietersen from the post put into sharp focus the lack of options England have at their disposal, with Strauss seen by many as the only man in the set-up capable of taking on the role.Opener Alastair Cook is now the official vice-captain and logic would dictate that he would stand in for the Bangladesh tour should Strauss be absent. But Vaughan believes that, with the 24-year-old having struggled for form this year, the decision is not as straightforward as it may seem."That's not been decided yet," he said. "I think we're all jumping to conclusions."Cooky's under a huge amount of pressure this series to deliver. He's had a good time in the team since he came in. "He's developed a real strong respect from the rest of the players which is ultimately what you need as a captain. "But he has to deliver with runs on the board and he has to get a lot of runs in South Africa just to give himself that confidence that, if he does get the job, he's speaking from a position of strength."
Strauss flew out with his squad at the weekend for a tough tour of South Africa which follows hot on the heels of a gruelling summer schedule, which included a World Twenty 20 tournament and the Champions Trophy on top of England's Ashes victory. After two 20 over and five 50 over internationals against the Proteas, as well as four Tests, England move next onto Bangladesh before another busy summer leads up to a trip to Australia.Strauss and coach Andy Flower were not slow to rest overworked players this summer giving the likes of James Anderson and Paul Collingwood a break during the one-day series against Ricky Ponting's men. And Vaughan, who skippered England to Ashes success in 2005, believes Strauss must take time away himself to ensure he is mentally ready for the challenges ahead."I think he should be rested," Vaughan said. "You've got to look at the bigger picture. The guys are playing far too much."It's not the actual playing side, it's the mental side of being away and constantly being in a cricket environment."So just taking Straussy out for a three-week break will regenerate his energy levels going into next summer and we have to have all our players fit and firing for next winter which is the big one – the Ashes."However, resting Strauss would of course bring up another major issue in who could then take over the captaincy.The abrupt departure of Kevin Pietersen from the post put into sharp focus the lack of options England have at their disposal, with Strauss seen by many as the only man in the set-up capable of taking on the role.Opener Alastair Cook is now the official vice-captain and logic would dictate that he would stand in for the Bangladesh tour should Strauss be absent. But Vaughan believes that, with the 24-year-old having struggled for form this year, the decision is not as straightforward as it may seem."That's not been decided yet," he said. "I think we're all jumping to conclusions."Cooky's under a huge amount of pressure this series to deliver. He's had a good time in the team since he came in. "He's developed a real strong respect from the rest of the players which is ultimately what you need as a captain. "But he has to deliver with runs on the board and he has to get a lot of runs in South Africa just to give himself that confidence that, if he does get the job, he's speaking from a position of strength."
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