IN HAPPIER TIMES: Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan

In a move that seems certain to test relationships in the England dressing-room, Michael Vaughan has laid the blame for their dismal showing at the World Cup in the Caribbean this year squarely at the door of Andrew Flintoff.

The England captain says that Flintoff’s drunken escapade on a pedalo one match into the tournament had a drastic effect on team morale. Vaughan goes on to confirm that he had backed the decision to strip Flintoff of the vice-captaincy. “I was obviously asked [about the decision],” Vaughan says in an interview published this morning. “That was the decision. It was a tough decision, but after what went on it was bound to happen.”

Vaughan takes some of the blame by acknowledging that his captaincy was not up to its usual standard, but it is his comments on Flintoff that might be interesting if the all-rounder, who is recovering from a third operation on his left ankle, returns as hoped to the England dressing-room during the series against India that starts next month.

“We arrived at the World Cup in a positive frame of mind, but unfortunately incidents happened which affected the team. You have to be honest, the ‘Fredalo’ incident did affect team morale,” Vaughan said. “Those incidents are bound to affect team spirit.

“Suddenly you’ve got players who have no freedom left. I like to see players enjoy themselves but no one would dare go out after that incident — and you can’t create any spirit then.

“That incident changed the whole atmosphere in the camp. We went into the New Zealand game [England’s opening World Cup fixture] with a really good attitude, but we didn’t play well and after ‘Fredalo’ we just started taking it all too seriously. That might sound silly but everyone was too tense and desperate. There was no escape — and even on the field you have to be pretty free, especially in one-day cricket.”

Vaughan said that he was “more tense than I’ve ever been as captain” and that Duncan Fletcher “was more tense than he’d ever been as coach”. He adds: “I didn’t captain as well as I should have done because of the pressure I put myself under. I’d admit that. But I couldn’t switch off because away from the field there was so much going on [the death of Bob Woolmer, Pakistan coach, and the 'Fredalo incident'].”

Vaughan also answered criticism that he has been given preferential treatment by the England selectors. “A day will come when England will be better off without me, but at the minute I think they’re a lot better off with me,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong in thinking you’re quite good.

“Maybe Andrew Flintoff should be saying the same thing. I’m hoping he is because we’re certainly a better team with him. I’ve come back from knee injuries and he’s come back from ankle injuries, so he can certainly do it again.”