Michael Vaughan

London: An outstanding batsman and an outstanding captain, Michael Vaughan, spoke to The Telegraph at The Oval on Saturday afternoon. The questions were limited to leadership and captaincy.

Vaughan captained England in 51 Tests, winning 26 and losing only 11. In terms of wins, he’s the most successful for his country. Moving to ODIs, as captain, Vaughan won 32 of the 60 matches, losing 22.

The following are excerpts

Q What’s your understanding of leadership?

A A very, very good question... Leadership should come naturally... Leaders, I think, just do the things right. They know how to communicate, how to set goals, have a vision... People want to follow leaders, follow what they do. That comes about naturally.

You were considered a good leader, more than being just a good captain...

(Smiles) That label came after being in the job for two-three years... Such labels come when you treat people right, when you communicate well with the stakeholders... I guess the more you do the job, the better you become... The more natural it becomes... At times, though, it’s a trial and error method, not knowing what the reaction will be.

Did you have a role model captain?

I was fortunate to play under very good captains... Martyn Moxon at Yorkshire, Adam Hollioake when I played for England A and, then, Nasser Hussain... What’s important is to do it your way. There’s no right way to captain, but plenty of wrong ways. Ultimately, it’s about making decisions and, under pressure, you’ve got to make the right ones.

Anybody outside cricket that you looked up to?

(Sir) Alex Ferguson... Back in the late 1980s, he was probably one match away from being sacked as the Man U manager... Today, he’s still around... He’s been there for almost 25 years because he has changed players... Fresh faces is the key. Ferguson is the king.

Do you know Sir Alex personally?

I’ve met him a few times at dinners and at the races... He’s come to Old Trafford and watched cricket a few times and I’m sure he’d be impressed with this England team... The guys are motivated and well-prepared... There’s so much planning.

How would you describe your style of captaincy?

I would be relaxed, calm... I wanted to enjoy my cricket and I wanted my players to enjoy their game too... I allowed them the freedom to express themselves... To play a big shot under pressure, without fearing the worst. The mentality side is very important.

But were you always calm in the dressing room as well?

Not always!

What did captaining England mean to you?

A lot... It’s the best job in the world... To captain your country and be in a position to influence games. It means so much, so much responsibility.

You were Hussain’s deputy for quite some time. What did you learn from him?

I wasn’t trying to pick up things... I didn’t realise the captaincy would come to me so suddenly (in the summer of 2003)... I was still quite young then and, to be honest, was more focused on improving my game and helping England win more.

Hussain was a tough captain, very demanding. Your approach, obviously, was very different...

Yes, Hussain was very tough and there had to be a period of transition... Hussain had his team, I had mine... I wanted the players to enjoy the moment, even under pressure... Today, Andrew Strauss has his unit... It keeps changing, keeps evolving.

You were captain when England regained the Ashes in 2005. How much did life change after that?

Became more famous, that was one definite change... Winning the Ashes gives you a stamp, gives more recognition... Having said that, you can’t win a big series or a tournament without good players... I had a good unit back then, Strauss has a good one now. I’m sure he’ll admit it. A good captain needs good players... Look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni, he won the World Cup with a set of good players.

Just who is a good player?

The good ones are those who can perform under pressure when the world is watching them.

Talking of Strauss, you’ve been critical of his captaincy?

No... That got taken out of context... In fact, I’m Strauss’s biggest fan... I think he’s an excellent captain and, having led him, I know exactly what he brings to the team. I know the character he is, very mature, a great planner... A foundation had been laid, a conveyor belt put in place... Strauss is taking things to the next level.

How do you rate Dhoni?

Dhoni’s good... You don’t win a World Cup, by promoting yourself in the final, if you aren’t good... He has a huge amount of skill and trusts his game... Of course, he’s had problems in this series... Injuries, the non-availability of key players... Those things haven’t helped... Zaheer Khan is one bowler who could have pushed England on the backfoot... Also, given the itinerary, the BCCI didn’t give its team the best chance to succeed in England... One warm-up game, come on. The BCCI should learn from the ECB, see how last season’s Ashes campaign was planned.

What would you tell a room full of captains-in-the-making?

Don’t analyse the game too much... Ensure that every player knows what his role is... It’s the captain’s job to identify the role for each one... Ensure that the team has a goal... So much of the game is mental and captains have to ensure that their players have the confidence to go out and play their natural game.

You often came across as an instinctive captain...

I was... I’d definitely have plans, but did go by instinct. I’d react to situations, for one has to be flexible.

How important is winning? Is it all that matters?

Playing good cricket matters the most. Becoming hard to beat should be the ultimate, for winning will follow. Look at Bangladesh, they don’t win because they don’t have good players. They’ll continue to have a problem as long as good players aren’t produced.

Is there a formula to be successful?

Yeah.

What’s it?

Hard work... Nothing is achieved without hard work... At the end of the day, you’ve got to look in the mirror and be able to honestly say that you’ve given it your best shot... You’ve got to get the maximum out of yourself... The man who matters the most is the guy who stands in front of the mirror... Secondly, you need to have a vision and you’ve got to work towards the goal... You also need everybody in the team to embrace that vision.

How would you prepare for a Test?

For a Test beginning Thursday, my preparations would begin on Tuesday... I’d prepare for two days and that would then allow me to enjoy the match... Indeed, you can only enjoy playing if you’ve left nothing to chance.

Absolutely... What did you do at the end of a tough day?

(Laughs) Had a glass of red wine!

Finally, was it hard calling it a day (in June 2009), almost a year after stepping down as Test captain?

Of course, it was... It was tough just leaving the captaincy... As I’ve told you, captaining England is the best job in the world... I realised there could be a blip, but that the team would eventually move on... That’s the skill of a leader... One who leaves when the team’s performances are dipping doesn’t leave a legacy... You should leave when the foundation is strong and allow the team to move ahead, climb the progression chart. A leader has to look after the next generation.