Vaughan out of India tour to take rest

London: Michael Vaughan will not tour India with England this winter, despite new captain Kevin Pietersen's desire to have him in the squad.

Instead, Vaughan plans to have at least two months off to clear his head and rekindle his love of cricket before taking the necessary steps to get back in the Test team.

His decision to take an extended rest appears to have come about through a mutual understanding with the selectors. Vaughan, who resigned the Test captaincy seven weeks ago, had vowed to fight his way back into the England side by showing good county form.

But he knew that 41 runs in four innings for Yorkshire was unlikely to win him a berth and saved Geoff Miller and his panel discussion time by making himself unavailable for India, though not the tour to the West Indies early next year.

When the selectors awarded him a year's central contract two weeks ago, Vaughan looked to be a shoo-in for the tour of India this December.

But while his strokeplay has looked fully functional, his mind has been elsewhere, and that is an altogether more difficult problem to cure. This season has been fraught with emotion for Vaughan, who was in tears after calling time on his five-year reign as England captain.

Discounting the time missed through injury to his knee, and that was a wearing period of treatment and rehab, he has not had a 10-week break since 1997.

Rejuvenating effect

A good rest from cricket would seem a sensible option, something he would not have got had he been picked for India.

Last year Andrew Strauss was dropped from the pre-Christmas tour to Sri Lanka before being selected for the second leg in New Zealand, after opting for six weeks' first-class domestic cricket there.

Although he struggled at first, he recommended the rejuvenating effect of not playing for a few months. Starting with some gentle nets in December, Vaughan plans to do something similar, though where, when and for whom he will play for has not yet been finalised.

Next year's Ashes are the main target for him and he wants to make sure he starts next season in prime form.

Whether that includes facing the West Indies in February and March will fall to the selectors, though you sense that one of England's current top five batsmen would have to fail in India for him to stand a chance.

Imminent retirement

Vaughan's absence from Yorkshire's final match of the season had set the rumour mill into overdrive, with mental burnout and imminent retirement to become a Sky commentator both floated as reasons for his non-appearance.

The truth, it appears, is more mundane; he is suffering from a side injury caused by bowling six overs at Scarborough last week.

Soon to be 34, sources close to the player reveal he is giving himself a year to get back into England's Test team. After that he will take his bearings and if cricket still appeals, a crack at the Yorkshire captaincy might not be out of the question. After all, the greatest challenge after playing for England would be to lead a county with the kind of great expectations Yorkshire have.