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Gough backs Vaughan to make Ashes comeback

01/10/2008

Former Yorkshire captain Darren Gough has backed county club-mate Michael Vaughan to win back his place in the England team by the Ashes series next year.

Vaughan resigned as England skipper following the second Test against South Africa earlier this summer, and was subsequently dropped from the team after a drastic loss of form with the bat.

His departure from the squad led to Kevin Pietersen being promoted to the top job for the Test and one-day teams, and he is yet to taste defeat through one Test match and five one-dayers against the country of his birth.

But Gough has backed fellow Yorkshireman Vaughan to get over his recent disappointments and bounce back in time to help England attempt to regain the urn, as they did under his captaincy in 2005.

"We have not seen the last of Michael," Gough exclusively told inthenews.co.uk.

"I know him as a player and as a person. He's gone through a bad trough, and he's the first to admit it.

"But I've no doubt in my mind that Michael Vaughan will be playing for England scoring runs in the next year."

Gough claimed that, when at his best, 33-year-old Vaughan can still be "the second best player in the England side" behind the new captain.

"That's no disrespect to him, because Kevin Pietersen is probably way above everyone at the minute," Gough continued.

"But we all know Michael is just behind him when he is playing at his best.

"What he needs to do now is go away, work on his game and get his mind right."

Speculation has suggested Vaughan may look into the possibility of playing some first-class cricket in the southern hemisphere this winter.

However, South Australia have already denied rumours of contact with the veteran opener about signing him for the upcoming season.