Cricket World CupThe chances of Michael Vaughan's hamstring recovering in time for him to be declared fit when England leave for the World Cup in around a fortnight have been placed at no better than 50-50.
That assessment comes from a member of the England hierarchy, so they are not being unduly upbeat. Unless the selectors are going to lay themselves open to heaps of criticism, Vaughan, not to mention James Anderson and Jon Lewis, has to be free of any sign of discomfort by the time the plane leaves. There can be no ifs, no buts.
The first match, against New Zealand, takes place on March 16th in St Lucia and could be pivotal for England. In theory that gives Vaughan a month. But to make any progress in the tournament the team from the start will need continuity, not ambiguity. The idea that someone can just be replaced if he is not fit is too glib for words.
The coach, Duncan Fletcher, will want to have in his mind who his captain is and what his first-choice team is before the aircraft leaves the deck, and then spend the warm-up games in St Vincent against Bermuda and Australia respectively, going over strategies and getting that same best XI used to local conditions and playing together. Fitness tests should not be on the agenda.
The problem, of course, is how do Vaughan and the two bowlers prove their fitness? In Vaughan's case, the attempt will no doubt involve arduous work at the academy in Loughborough, under the direction of doctors, physiotherapists and fitness trainers, all of which will prove nothing unless it is to rule him out.
He underwent the most gruelling rehab of his life following his knee operation, and hats off to him for having the single-mindedness to go through with it, but his declaration of fitness at the end of it all, after more than a year without international cricket and precious little of any sort anywhere, resulted in him not being available for seven of the 10 games he might have played in.
Ed Joyce, as expected, is in the squad. The Bray man spent four years qualifying and was then struck by ill luck, damaging his ankle and missing last summer's series against Sri Lanka. The compact left-hander has put that all behind him, though - he kick-started England's unlikely revival Down Under with a hundred in Sydney which cemented his place at the top of the order.
ENGLAND SQUAD: M Vaughan (captain), Ed Joyce, R Bopara, I Bell, A Strauss, K Pietersen, P Collingwood, A Flintoff, P Nixon (wicketkeeper), J Dalrymple, M Panesar, J Lewis, J Anderson, L Plunkett, S Mahmood
