Michael Vaughan: a reluctant tourist © Getty Images

England's captain Michael Vaughan has admitted that he is not looking forward to the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe. England leave on Monday (Nov 15) and will play five one-day internationals in Harare and Bulawayo.

Vaughan, 30, was speaking to the press at the launch of his benefit year with Yorkshire. "It's not a tour I am particularly looking forward to," he said. "I am looking forward to it being over. I think it is clear we are making a stance in itself because we are not going to Zimbabwe until November 24. We go to Namibia for our preparation and fly to Zimbabwe before the first one-day game."

The England side will only remain in Zimbabwe for 12 days before continuing their winter schedule in South Africa. The England will not be at full strength for the one-day series in Zimbabwe, as Steve Harmison has withdrawn on moral grounds and both Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Flintoff being rested. It will be the first one-day international that Trescothick will have missed. He's played 92 successive matches since his debut in July 2000.

Vaughan was careful not to blame anyone for the situation: "It is not a great position for either the board or players to be in, but personally I did not want to pass the buck by not going. Obviously, no-one condones what is happening in Zimbabwe."

The tour itself was rubber-stamped after John Carr of the ECB and Richard Bevan, the players' representative, went to Zimbabwe last month to assess the security situation.

Bevan told The Guardian that the decision to tour was certainly not a thumbs-up for Mugabe's regime. "It in no way indicates that players are seeking to condone the situation in Zimbabwe," he said. "We are relying on detailed assurances received from all the relevant authorities, including the British Embassy. Should those undertakings be breached, however, there will be an immediate review of the players' position."

The five-match one-day series starts on November 26.