Usually I disagree with whatever Michael Vaughan says, thats my default position, and it takes quite a lot for me to change my mind.
But every once in a while you’ll find you agree with at least one thing most people say, normally I feel every time he opens his mouth he tarnishes his reputation and 2005 loses a little bit of its special place in my heart.
Of course he’s entitled to his opinion, part of what makes the human race great is the difference of opinions, that’s not the point I’m trying to get across, you’re allowed to have a different opinion to other people, the world would be a boring place if everybody thought the same.
Vaughan handled Moeen Ali leaving India after playing one test very badly, Ali in his defence had been locked in his room in Sri Lanka then drafted into the test match side for the first time in 18 months, and then gets sent home, a decision likely made by the ECB and not the player himself.
I get the impression Vaughan thinks of himself as a walking tabloid paper and his views are right no matter what, that’s just the impression I get from him, I could be wrong.
But one thing he’s right on was when he was on Tuffers and Vaughan on BBC 5 live this week by saying “test cricket is dead” if England rest and rotate in the Ashes, it’s comparable to a Premier League football team resting players in a game where they can win the title, you put your best side on the park every single time.
There are ODI series and T20 series coming up in India and at home, yes there is a T20 World Cup but I believe Eoin Morgan knows his best team and the side he wants to take to India in the autumn, a lot of the players play all 3 formats so rest them during the white ball stuff and give England the best chance to win in Australia by putting the best team on the pitch during the English summer against New Zealand and India to give you a full 6 games to get your best side together to go and win the Ashes in Australia.
T20 is the money spinner and big earner for the game, but for many like myself the red ball 5 day stuff is the pinnacle, the purest and best form of the game, like Vaughan I’d hate to see the Ashes come second to a T20 World Cup.
I don’t like hearing that England coach Chris Silverwood said they could rest and rotate during the Ashes, his interview feeling like a I told you so moment, when we’re all outraged that Jofra Archer or Ben Stokes miss a vital Ashes test Silverwood can tell us that it was the plan all along.
To sum up, Vaughan so very often wrong, got this one right, but as a wise man once said even a blind squirrel occasionally finds hit nuts!
Cheers, The Fat Man
Fat Lad Sports 