Vaughan announces retirement

Eurosport - Tue, 30 Jun 23:29:00 2009

England's most successful Test captain Michael Vaughan has said he is retiring from the game, after failing to regain his place in the team for next month's Ashes series against Australia.

CRICKET Michael Vaughan retirement announcement 2009 - 0

"It has been a hard decision," Vaughan, 34, told a news conference at Edgbaston.

"The decision came to me two weeks ago. I thought about it in December but I wanted to give myself one last chance of playing against Australia but I haven't been playing well enough and my body is not reacting how I would like it to be."

Vaughan, who has been troubled by a chronic knee injury, has not played for his country since resigning as captain last year and passed 50 only three times in 22 innings for Yorkshire.

He was forced to leave the field frequently to rest his troubled knee, raising fresh doubts about his ability to last a five-day Test.

"I knew it was time to go when I played cricket in the back garden with my three-year-old son Archie and he bowled me with a ball that hit a weed and clipped my off stump," Vaughan said.

Vaughan made his Test debut for England during the 1999-2000 tour of South Africa and quickly established himself in the team, scoring his maiden Test century in 2001 against Pakistan.

However, the knee injuries that were to plague his career surfaced in 2001 and he was ruled out of the entire home Ashes series that was won convincingly by Australia.

After more knee problems he returned in time for the 2002-03 Ashes series in Australia, making 177 on the first day of the second Test in Adelaide, 183 in Sydney and 145 in Melbourne, knocks that helped him to rise to the top of the ICC batting rankings.

In July 2003 Vaughan took over the England captaincy from Nasser Hussain, beginning what was to become the most successful reign of an England skipper with a 2-2 home draw with South Africa despite his own lack of form with the bat.

Vaughan led by example in Sri Lanka later that year when he batted for seven-and-a-half hours to score 105, his first Test century as captain and an innings that enabled England to save the second Test in Kandy.

He then led England to their first series victory in the West Indies for 30 years before eight straight Test wins in 2004.

But the moment that defined his captaincy of England came in 2005 when he outsmarted opposite number Ricky Ponting to win back the Ashes.

"The Ashes in 2005 was very, very special but the build-up to that in the two years before was just as special because we had to make the team into a winning unit," Vaughan said.

"Australia in 2005 was the pinnacle."

Not only were his leadership skills acclaimed during England's first series win against the Australians since 1987 but he scored vital runs, particularly 166 in the drawn match at Old Trafford, the highest individual score in the series.

It proved to be the highlight of Vaughan's captaincy as his suspect knee required more surgery and he played no part two years later when Australia gained revenge with a 5-0 whitewash of England with Andrew Flintoff as stand-in skipper.

"I want to be remembered as someone who gave my all, who left everything out there," Vaughan said.

"Someone who was hopefully a nice player to watch, and when I was captain I wanted my team to be determined and aggressive and who enjoyed their cricket, which is how I played when I was at my best.

Reuters

Comment 11 - 30 of 30

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. He was the man that got me into cricket, that 177 at­ Adelaide amazed me, got me hooked. Then again, his 166­ against Australia in 2005 was brilliant too, that­ Series was just brilliant! England will definitely miss­ him. Best of luck to him in his future endeavors­ (preferably related to helping English Cricket!)

    From rader, on Tue 30 Jun 8:09PM

  2. The truth is that greed has consumed Vaughn.In a week­ or so it will be announced he has signed a lucrative­ commentators position with sky.That is the real reason­ he has suddenly retired.

    From NW36HS, on Tue 30 Jun 6:39PM

  3. goodluck michael - big loss to our game. quality test­ player over the years,shame you couldn't recapture­ ya form

    From Greg, on Tue 30 Jun 6:04PM

  4. re 26, stevec, I totally agree with what you've­ said. The guy obviously is not a cricket follower so­ his opinion is worth diddly squat, or maybe less than­ that.

    I understand how you feel about his lack of­ games for Yorkshire, but that was always gooing to be­ the case with all the guys on central contracts. My­ concern is that that has given the ECB carte blanche to­ tell a player to rest up, when it would be far better­ for him to get match practice.

    Something else that Sir­ Geoffrey mentioned was that one good reason why players­ get injuries is because they simply do not play enough.­ I know it's all high-pressure stuff that they play­ - Tests, one-dayers, that Twenty20 stuff - but in truth­ they do not put in the hard yards that greats like­ Trueman, Statham, Loader, Snow, Willis, Imran etc etc­ put in. There never used to be the sort of injuries,­ in such numbers, that there seems to be now.

    From PETER H, on Tue 30 Jun 5:18PM

  5. A fine player and a fine sportsman. He will be a loss­ to our game.

    From markrose260, on Tue 30 Jun 5:04PM
  6. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    boring - drab - thats how I remember him ...a bit like­ mike brearley ......we need stars like gower or botham

    From S K, on Tue 30 Jun 4:23PM

  7. jmoggie I assume you are having a joke or know nothing­ about cricket. Vaughan was one of the greatest captains­ England ever had and, before his injuries, one of the­ finest batsmen. My only problem is that he didn't­ play enough for Yorkshire!

    From steve c, on Tue 30 Jun 3:43PM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I think he should be sent into exile and given 20 years­ hard labour for all the times he's embarrased the­ country by losing

    From jimoggie, on Tue 30 Jun 3:32PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Good he's a waste of space and crazy to boot, we­ don't want shyte like him ruining our team

    From jimoggie, on Tue 30 Jun 3:31PM

  10. Just wish there were more sportsmen like Michael. ­ He's a true gent and a brilliant cricketer. ­ There's a lot of footballers that could learn a­ thing or two from him. Hope he doesn't just­ disappear.

    From Sharon, on Tue 30 Jun 2:25PM

  11. I have nothing but admiration for Michael Vaughan, but­ please don't rewrite history - was Vaughan ever­ Yorkshire captain except possibly to stand in from time­ to time?

    From Paul P, on Tue 30 Jun 2:25PM

  12. What a shame that injury has stopped this guy from­ carrying on for at least another cople of years at top­ level . Undoubtedly for a couple of years he was the­ best batsman in the world and I was lucky enough to see­ a couple of his magical innings . It was obvious though­ on his final tests that his injury had blunted his form­ and if the other batsmen had performed to a decent­ level then perhaps Michael could have batted 6 or 7 and­ carried on as captian as none of his successors comes­ anywhere near to him in captaincy skills . I hope he is­ not lost to the game , especially the England team . No­ doubt Sky will @#$% him up as they have done with all­ Englands previous captains but they are getting swamped­ now by former players . So hopefully at some stage he­ will take up coaching , and I don't just mean his­ young son Archie in the back yard Good Luck Michael ­ a true gent and sportsman

    From W, on Tue 30 Jun 2:15PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    CRIKAT AS A HAMASEXUAL SPART

    From JEEMS, on Tue 30 Jun 2:13PM

  14. A class act and a true cricketer ... he would still­ make the team for his captaincy alone if the other­ batsment could get their acts together. He showed­ border what it means to be a Captain.

    Enjoy your­ retirement from playing Sir and get yourself involved­ in English Cricket ... it needs you.

    From Mike, on Tue 30 Jun 2:05PM

  15. Best Lancastrian ever to capt Yorkshire....great­ technical batsman, "down the line of the­ ball" all the time in his great innings' for­ England and Yorkshire, well done Michael, enjoy your­ rest.

    From Glyn D, on Tue 30 Jun 1:24PM

  16. I think he should still be involved as a selector at­ Test level, he has more of a cricket-mind than most.

    From Koppite 1973, on Tue 30 Jun 1:01PM

  17. Quality captain. England and Yorkshire will surely have­ a job to replace him.

    From Oliver, on Tue 30 Jun 12:59PM

  18. A true sportsman in every sense!

    From alexbrady, on Tue 30 Jun 12:52PM

  19. Legend! Come and play non professional cricket at­ rossington

    From m.butler1990, on Tue 30 Jun 12:49PM

  20. A TRUE LEGEND OF THE REAL GAME OF "TEST­ CRICKET" COME ACROSS AS A GENUINELY NICE GUY WITH­ TRUE MORALS WHICH CAN ONLY BE COPIED BY THE CURRENT UP­ AND COMING TEST PLAYERS ! ALL THE BEST FOR THE FUTURE. ­ MARK , NORWICH

    From MARK F, on Tue 30 Jun 12:40PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account