Vaughan to miss India tour

	Michael Vaughan troops off after another late-season failure for Yorkshire © Getty Images

The ECB has confirmed that Michael Vaughan won't be selected for the Test series in India, the squad for which will be announced on Monday.

Vaughan, who was awarded a central contract earlier this month, stood down as captain after the penultimate Test of the summer and chose to miss the last match at The Oval. He had been looking to regain his form playing for Yorkshire, but in four Championship innings he managed only 41 runs.

"Michael has not been selected for the tour of India because his place in the Test squad cannot be justified based on recent form," said national selector Geoff Miller. "Our view is that it will be to England's benefit if he takes a break from international cricket in the period leading up to Christmas and spends time working on his game.

"We have discussed the situation with Michael. He fully understands the reasons for the selectors' decision and has made clear to us that he is fully committed to winning back his place in the England Test side."

Miller, though, offered Vaughan hope of a return, possibly on the tour of West Indies early next year, and the ECB is putting a schedule together to help him find some cricket. He could follow a similar path to Andrew Strauss and Steve Harmison last winter, when they played in New Zealand and South Africa respectively prior to tours. Strauss is the best comparison, as he was then recalled for the New Zealand tour after being dropped for the Sri Lanka trip.

"Like all centrally contracted players Michael will be given a clear programme over the next six months which will include training and match practice over the winter period," Miller added. "With a busy period of international cricket on the horizon, we would like to stress that he remains very much part of our plans over the coming year."

When Vaughan stepped down as captain, following the third Test against South Africa, he said he still wanted to extend his career. "I believe the best thing for me is to try and get back to being best batsmen I can be. I'll still have all the experience and knowledge to pass on and I hope to be a valuable player for both my county and the England team."

Vaughan opted out of Yorkshire's final match against Sussex at Hove - a game they went into needing to win to guarantee staying up - and there has been increasing speculation that he is looking at other options.