Michael Vaughan

For a long time now, Michael Vaughan has encouraged his players to be attacking and aggressive, whatever the state of the match. “Just go out and play your natural game,” he likes to say. “Express yourself.” But Test cricket is not that simple. It is time England swallowed their egos and started playing to the situation.

Vaughan has to accept responsibility for the shambles at Headingley. Captaincy takes many forms: it includes setting the right fields, dealing with personalities, and leading from the front with bat or ball. But just as important is the guidance a captain gives his players in the dressing room, explaining how he expects them to play. Vaughan has to tell his batsmen to abandon this one-size-fits-all approach, and show a bit more brain.

So far in this series, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook are the only Englishmen who have looked to sell their wickets dearly. It is admirable, in some ways, that the other lads want to play shots and dominate the opposition bowlers, but they have to pick their moment. At Lord’s, on a flat pitch, and with a foundation laid by Strauss and Cook, the stage was set for a big partnership by Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell. At Headingley, those two got themselves out in both innings.

By having such a positive mental attitude, England self-destruct too often. The second innings was even more culpable than the first, because a number of batsmen — notably Tim Ambrose and Andrew Flintoff — managed to get themselves in and show patience for an hour or so but then threw their wickets away

Peter Moores, the England coach, said afterwards that “Flintoff looked in great form until he got out, and that was a positive for the team.” As far as I’m concerned, Flintoff made 38 and England lost the match with a day to spare. I don’t see anything positive in that.

England want Flintoff in the side, but he must be treated as a bowler now. His batting is very rusty. He has slogged a few fours and sixes for Lancashire in the pyjama game, but that is not the best preparation for Test cricket. For an object lesson in the disciplines required, England only had to watch Ashwell Prince and AB de Villiers. They left every ball they didn’t have to play, defended their wickets, and only went after the half-volley or the long-hop. It was slow-going at times, but I’ll take the slow 150 over a five-ball 13 any time, Mr Pietersen.

The balance of the side will be one of the big issues for Edgbaston. Ambrose kept wickets very well at Headingley, but he simply isn’t a Test No.6. In fact, there isn’t a Test No.6 in this team.

Vaughan is short of form in all cricket and his batting is beginning to be an issue for England again. It’s all very well saying that he has to lead England in next summer’s Ashes, but it is always debilitating for a team if their captain is not performing. Vaughan has made 23 runs in this series so far, his footwork is poor, and he is struggling to handle Dale Steyn’s away swing. He, more than anybody, needs a rapid turnaround when England go to Edgbaston next week. And he can start by telling his team to get their heads down and grind out some big scores. There should be no room for arrogance after this performance.