Vaughan can be Headingley asset (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Vaughan can be Headingley asset

1:07pm Tuesday 20th January 2009 in Sport By Graham Hardcastle

Anthony McGrath is hoping Yorkshire will gain from Michael Vaughan’s burning desire to get back into the England squad in time to face old foes Australia this summer.

Former England captain Vaughan has returned to pre-season training with the Tykes at Headingley and McGrath is happy with the way his star batsman is shaping up.

Since giving up the England captaincy last summer, Vaughan has been out in the international wilderness for the tours to India and the West Indies.

He featured for Yorkshire briefly towards the end of the domestic summer but seemed a man out of sorts.

Now things are different. After a good winter break, the 34-year-old has his heart set on another crack at the Aussies.

Things could have been different had the England Performance Programme squad’s tour of India in November and December, which Vaughan was part of, not been cancelled because of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

McGrath said: “Michael looks really well. He is looking forward to a full pre-season with us and hopefully some runs early on will put him in the frame for the home series.

“That will mean he has been performing for Yorkshire, which raises our profile, and England do well out of it as well.

“He is in really good spirits and everyone here is hoping he can get back for the West Indies series in May. If not that one, then Australia. If he does play well, he is still one of England’s best batters.”

To have a chance of featuring in either home Test series, Vaughan will need to begin his runs assault during Yorkshire’s pre-season tour to Abu Dhabi in March before amassing scores in the County Championship in April and early May.

But while Vaughan will be concentrating on helping himself, McGrath is hoping that the man who is still centrally contracted by the ECB can also help Yorkshire’s youngsters.

“For both me and Martyn (Moxon), he is someone to call upon,” said McGrath.

“He has been captain of England for a number of years, so that experience helps us out. But the young lads can now go on a full pre-season with Michael Vaughan, be with him every day, and we feel that will be priceless for some of them.”

Vaughan will only have one three-day first-class friendly and two County Championship matches in which to impress the England selectors before the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s on May 6.

There are seven championship matches in all before the first Test against Australia at Cardiff on July 8.