Vaughan denies Ashes disruption

Only in England could news of a great captain's international comeback be viewed with such a jaundiced eye, but such has been the controversy over Michael Vaughan's role in England's doomed Ashes campaign that his return to the one-day squad for next month's Commonwealth Bank Series was bound to raise more questions than answers.

Vaughan, who has not played international cricket for England since he injured his right knee ahead of the first Test against India in March, has been keeping a low profile for the last few weeks of the tour, amid criticism that he was proving a distraction to the squad and undermining Andrew Flintoff's attempts to lead the side in his own unfettered way.

"It's been frustrating because I want to be involved and playing, but I really have tried to stay as far away from it as I can," Vaughan insisted, having spent most of his time in Australia with the Academy squad in Perth, where he linked up with the Test team ahead of the recent third Test. "I know some people have said I've been a distraction but I haven't really been around the grounds.

"I've been in Perth working with the Academy and medical team there and I've enjoyed being around groups of lads aspiring to play for England," he added. "Hopefully being with them, a little bit of my input will help their careers as well."

In the build-up to the Ashes, Vaughan admitted that he might never play at the highest level again, and he reiterated those doubts again today. Therefore his determination to get his career back on course, while admirable, seems out of kilter with the needs of a team that, to judge from their displays in the first three Tests, desperately need to get the memories of the 2005 Ashes out of their system.

His shadowy presence in the two-day warm-up match at the WACA, where he fielded for a day and then was not called upon to bat, was another confusing turn of events. And yet, it seems highly probable that England will be looking backwards in an attempt to move forwards when the one-dayers get underway, seeing as no decision has yet been taken on the captaincy. Flintoff, who has expressed a desire to stay in the role, is clearly on trial for the next two weeks at Melbourne and Sydney.

"The England captaincy is one of the best jobs in the world, and if it was made available I'd love to do it again," confirmed Vaughan. "I am sure you all think [the decision] has been made but there are two Tests to go and Freddie has done a decent job, in hard circumstances." Vaughan's inclusion in the squad is still subject to fitness, and will be assessed in two matches for the MCC over the next couple of weeks, one in Melbourne and another at Don Bradman's home town of Bowral.

"I wouldn't put myself up for selection if I didn't think I could get through it," said Vaughan, who has been working around the clock on his fitness ever since his latest bout of rehabiliation began. "I'm very positive with the way it's gone. Sometimes you train in the gym harder than you do on a cricket pitch and I've got through all that with no reaction. Hopefully it will carry on like that when I play a few more games.

"There is still a fair way to go before I represent England again, but I've just got to continue to work hard," he added. "I'm probably going to have to work hard on my right knee for the rest of my career, but it feels different to the last time I tried to play cricket, which is a good sign."