Vaughan under pressure

England skipper buoyed by good fitness but needs runs

Last updated: 11th May 2008

Michael Vaughan Headingley

Vaughan: Feeling the pressure

What will be will be.

Michael Vaughan
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England's Test captain Michael Vaughan admits to feeling under pressure to score runs after a poor winter tour of New Zealand.

His comments come as England prepare to line-up again against the Kiwis again this summer - this time in a three-match series on home soil.

His poor tour of New Zealand has been followed by only scoring 135 runs in seven innings for Yorkshire during the early stages of the domestic summer.

But on the positive side, Vaughan feels as fit as he has ever done after enduring an on-going battle with a knee problem.

The 33-year-old said: "I am under pressure - that is the position I am in because I didn't score runs in a series in New Zealand.

"Over the last year, in the 12 Tests I've played, I think I have averaged 43 with two hundreds.

Remembered

"But you're always remembered for your last series and I didn't have a good last series."

Vaughan refuses to be upset by any speculation about the captaincy of the England Test side.

He said: "I don't give a damn what anyone says about that. What will be will be.

"I am doing it to the best of my ability and trying to build a team to compete with the best teams in the world.

"We have just won a very good series in New Zealand - there are not many times England have come back from 1-0 away from home and won.

"There are a lot of players out there who could be playing Test match cricket and that makes it very competitive.

"That is the pressure I am under - I have to deliver runs because of those knocking on the door to get into the team as a batsman.

"As for the captaincy, I have always said that I will be a better captain the longer I go because of the experience of the situations you are put in.

"I will probably be best when I am about 45, sat in my armchair at home."

Fitness boost

Vaughan is very pleased with his fitness after he gave up one-day internationals less than a year ago to prolong his Test life.

He said: "I have a knee that needs managing: playing for Yorkshire is hard but I get opportunities to go and work in the gym and make sure the leg stays in good condition.

"I feel as fit as I ever have done and who is to say if that continues and I get myself in a run of form like I know I can, I might give myself an opportunity of getting back in the one-day game - because the knee is starting to feel as good as it has done for a long while.

"I enjoy waking up in the morning not having to knock on the physio's door.

"That has probably only been the case for the last three months. The last nine months of 2007 I was always knocking on the physio's door and having injections."