Former England cricket team skipper Michael Vaughan was extremely critical of the Ollie Pope-led side after their stunning loss against Sri Lanka in the third Test match on Monday. England were completely outplayed by an in-form Sri Lanka side that won their first Test match on English soil in more than 10 years. Vaughan went on to say that England disrespected Test cricket and Sri Lanka with how they decided to approach the match. He further said that England did not go with their usual Bazball style of play after winning the first two Tests of the series and Sri Lanka took advantage of the lapse.

“I felt that they disrespected Test cricket and disrespected Sri Lanka in the third Test by being over-aggressive with both bat and in their field placings,” Vaughan wrote in his column for The Telegraph.

“England have made a bit of a habit of becoming a bit complacent after a good period, I think of the start of the Ashes, or earlier this year in Rajkot and I hope it serves as a wake-up call for the tougher Tests that lie in wait in 2025,” he added.

Vaughan also added that this is not the kind of cricket that will help England win matches against tough oppositions like Australia and India.

“There is no way they will get away with playing like this against India or Australia,” Vaughan said.

Pathum Nissanka‘s superb unbeaten century guided Sri Lanka to an ultimately commanding eight-wicket win at The Oval on Monday as they ended a decade-long wait for a Test-match victory in England.

Sri Lanka, set a target of 219, and reached that total for the loss of two wickets before lunch on the fourth day, with Nissanka 127 not out and Angelo Mathews 32 not out in an unbroken stand of 111.

Victory gave Sri Lanka just a fourth Test win in England and first since a 100-run success at Headingley back in 2014.

England, however, took this three-match series 2-1 after wins at Old Trafford (five wickets) and Lord’s (190 runs).

But defeat meant England, who whitewashed the West Indies 3-0 earlier in the season, failed to achieve a first home campaign clean sweep since 2004, when Michael Vaughan oversaw seven successive wins.

(With AFP inputs)

Michael Vaughan has warned England against “take the mick out of the game” after a careless batting display against Sri Lanka in the third Test at the Oval. England, well-placed at 221-3 come stumps on the opening day, were dismissed for 325 all out in their first innings as they lost all of their remaining seven wickets before lunch on Saturday’s second day in south London. Sri Lanka, already 2-0 down in this three-match series, then collapsed to 93-5 but reached stumps on 211-5 following an unbroken century partnership between captain Dhananjaya de Silva (64 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (54 not out).

England have become known for their aggressive ‘Bazball’ approach under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and currently injured captain Ben Stokes in recent years.

But Ashes-winning former England skipper Vaughan believes they got carried away on Saturday, citing a frenetic innings of 19 by Harry Brook as the worst example.

“I would ask England, ‘were you on it all day like you would be against India and Australia?’,” Vaughan told the BBC. “If they look themselves in the mirror and say they were I would say they are lying.

“There are cricketing gods up there and in a year’s time there are tougher challenges (ahead). Just be careful, Harry Brook. He is an incredible player but don’t take the mick out of the game (treat it lightly).

“England delight me a lot in the way they play, I like that they do things completely differently, but I sometimes watch and say be careful because this game has a way of biting you.”

Vaughan’s fellow ex-England captain Alastair Cook, a former opening batsman, was also unhappy with the way Brook approached batting when Sri Lanka set a defensive field.

“Sri Lanka bowled in the channel and he didn’t like, so he was moaning to the umpire in jest that it was a bit boring and went to bat on sixth stump,” said Cook. “He then hit one straight to cover.

“Rather than finding a method he was more about trying to talk about it than deal with it. England were complacent today.”

Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the most outstandingly aggressive run-scorers of his generation, said there were occasions when batsmen had to change the tempo of their innings.

“He (Brook) was frustrated,” Jayasuriya said. “Sometimes you have to slow it down a bit. You can’t be in top gear all the time when you play this type of cricket.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has said he would be happy to be proven wrong on stand-in skipper Ollie Pope’s leadership credentials. At the same time, Vaughan stuck to his view that Pope is an insecure person as a leader. Pope made scores of one and 17 in England’s 190-run win over Sri Lanka at Lord’s. So far in the series, he has amassed only 30 runs in four innings. Questions have been raised over Pope being fidgety while batting and criticism has increased over his leadership abilities not being up to the mark.

Though he rotated his bowlers well and set up funky fields when required, Pope also had eight unsuccessful reviews, adding more fuel to the debate of being made the England Test captain weighing him down.

“Ollie Pope is the ideal vice-captain for England. Pope is that perfect foil for Ben Stokes. He is a very good guy, trains well and is a real team man – someone who can give tactical advice when required and is happy in the background. But he is better kept in that role, as vice-captain, than elevated to captain.”

“I would be happy to be proven wrong on Pope. But I think he is someone who is a bit insecure. I can see why they gave him the vice-captaincy to give him a boost, but he really did not need the captaincy at this stage of his career. For all the focus on Pope’s captaincy, it will be forgotten when Stokes returns in Pakistan,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.

He also commented on Pope being unsettled and frantic when coming out to bat at number three for England. “Not every vice-captain is going to make a captain. There are also a lot of captains who cannot be vice-captains, myself included. I wanted to be the leader. I wanted to be making the decision. I did not want to be the thoughtful strategist in the background.”

“I hope that Pope fights through his poor run of form. I hope he can find a way of getting that rhythm. In a game’s time, he is not going to be a captain, and it is purely about his batting. Can he find that rhythm and that calmness at the crease?”

“By giving Pope the captaincy now, I think England have given him a pressure that he did not need. It came at a stage when it was looking like he was working out how to bat at No 3 and had done well there against West Indies earlier in the summer. Then he gets thrown the captaincy.”

Vaughan also wishes to see Harry Brook being groomed as England’s next Test captain, and feels if needed, Joe Root can take up leadership mantle in an interim capacity. “Looking ahead, Harry Brook would be a better fit as captain for this side: his whole approach makes him a natural successor to Stokes.”

“But if there is another interim period when Stokes is injured and there are concerns about whether Brook is ready, what is wrong with giving the captaincy to Joe Root? It would not be backward step. He would just be seeing out a series when you know Stokes is coming back. And Stokes is still there in the dressing room anyway.”

Former England captain Michael Vaughan stated tearaway pacer Mark Wood becomes a more crucial player than Ben Stokes on flat pitches, and noted that Wood’s absence from the last two Tests against Sri Lanka is a big blow. Wood suffered a right thigh muscle strain in the series opener at Old Trafford that ruled him out of the remainder of the series. England won the match by five wickets on Saturday. On day three, he left the field immediately after bowling two deliveries into his 11th over in Sri Lanka’s second innings and did not bowl on day four.

“When you get on a flat pitch, Mark Wood is the most important player for England’s Test match team. Yes, even more than Ben Stokes. Wood is that good – and his injury that rules him out of the rest of the series against Sri Lanka is a blow.”

“Stokes is a colossus. Talismanic, an incredible leader, a brilliant player. But I just can’t see how England can replace Wood. He’s just got something very special about him,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.

He further cited Sri Lanka’s second innings on day four’s play as an example of where England will miss Wood. With Wood unavailable to bowl, Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal batted through the morning session and gave England a target of 205, which they achieved with five wickets remaining.

“How much England miss him was evident on the fourth morning with that fantastic partnership from Dinesh Chandimal and Kamindu Mendis when the pitch got flat and it became much easier for batting. We might get a lot of those conditions in the next year or so – definitely in Pakistan, and maybe a bit in New Zealand too. England need to find a way to take 20 wickets on wickets like that.”

Vaughan further explained what makes Wood standout from other England fast bowlers. “The point of difference that Wood brings is so important. England have got to wrap him in cotton wool to try and get him available for 60 or 70 per cent of Tests in the next year. Realistically, having Wood available that much would be a great outcome for England. A bowler like him is never going to be able to play every single game.”

“Wood is now the most important cog in this England Test match wheel for them to go and beat India, for them to go and win in Australia. He’s the player that opponents would most like to see not in the England side.”

“Even Jofra Archer, who is fantastic, doesn’t bowl 95mph. This is a guy that is doing something that we’ve never seen in English cricket. There’s not many around the world that bowled at Wood’s pace with that amount of ferocity. Every time he’s come on to bowl this summer, he’s made something happen.”

“He is not only obviously brilliant for the team, he’s brilliant for the game. We used to talk about Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff and Stokes, how they’d get spectators out the bar to go and watch. Well, get out of the bar and make sure you’re there watching Mark Wood. He is that bowler. A bowler like that doesn’t just give a team a great point of difference. It also sends a shudder to the opponents’ dressing room,” he concluded.

File photos of Wasim Jaffer (left) and Michael Vaughan.© X (formerly Twitter)

Former captain Michael Vaughan has lauded Joe Root for being a special batter and has predicted that he could overtake Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most runs by a batter in the history of men’s Test cricket. On Sunday, Root smashed 122 off 178 balls, his 32nd Test hundred, during England’s 241-run win over the West Indies at Nottingham to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Root, who now has 11,940 Test runs, has also become the eighth-highest run-getter in Test cricket, going past the likes of Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene (11,814) and the West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul (11,867).

“Joe Root will become England’s leading run-scorer in the next few months and is so special that he really could overtake Sachin Tendulkar eventually. As the rock, Root is obviously key to that, and I love that he kept the reverse-scoop in the locker until he was past 100 and England’s lead was massive.

“Against an attack like the West Indies in these conditions, you expect him to get a century. He missed out in the first innings but was so determined to put it right in the second. He was never going to make the same mistakes,” wrote Vaughan in his column for The Telegraph.

He also praised right-handed batter Harry Brook for hitting his first Test century on home soil, but advised him to do something about his issues related to facing short ball. “Then there’s Harry Brook, who is going to provide spectators so many ‘I was there’ moments in the next few years. He will play innings and shots that just make you go “wow”. I have seen players with time, but I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone with that much time to play aggressive shots looking very easy. Stillness, trigger, hands high, cocked wrist.

“There is a bit of Kevin Pietersen there, that ability to play jaw-dropping innings. Darren Lehmann has coached some serious players and he tweeted on Sunday that he is in the top five players he has thrown balls to, alongside Steve Smith, Rohit Sharma, AB de Villiers and Kumar Sangakkara. That is special company to keep.

“The short ball is his challenge, but I genuinely don’t think he’s got a weakness against it. He is just facing a fair bit of it, because it’s the obvious way to bowl to someone who is so aggressive. I don’t think it’s like a Kraigg Brathwaite, who has a problem with the short stuff, flicking in the air from armpit height.

“Brook has been out to it a few times in ungainly fashion, but I think that is just his ultra-aggression. I watch him net every morning at the Test match and he is getting peppered by the short ball, so he’s clearly thinking about it. In Australia, he might have to learn to duck and sway at times, because the boundaries are bigger and the pitches quicker,” he concluded.

It’s been more than a week since India defeated England in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup in Guyana, avenging their 10-wicket defeat to the same side two years back at the same stage. The Rohit Sharma-led side also defeated South Africa last Saturday to clinch the T20 World Cup title in Barbados. Following Afghanistan’s crushing loss to South Africa in the other semi-final, former England captain Michael Vaughan had accused the organisers for favouring India, questioning the scheduling of the tournament.

Vaughan took to social media to highlight that the Afghanistan players had faced a flight delay while travelling to Trinidad, having played their final Super Eight match of the tournament a day prior.

He also lashed out at the ICC for disrespecting Afghanistan, while also putting the blame on the alleged India-centric scheduling.

“So Afghanistan qualified for the WC semi, winning in St Vincent on Monday night .. 4 hr flight delay on Tues to Trinidad so no time to practice or get accustomed to a new venue .. utter lack of respect to players, i am afraid,” Vaughan had written in a post.

Now, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has given a befitting reply to Vaughan over his allegations of the tournament being rigged for India, as far as the scheduling is concerned.

During a recent interaction, Shastri took a jibe Vaughan, questioning if his “colleague” ever lifted a World Cup trophy.

“Michael Vaughan can say what he wants. Nobody in India cares. Let him sort out the England team first. He should give advice on what happened to the England team in the semifinal. India are used to lifting Cups. I know England have won twice, but India have won four times. I don’t think Michael’s lifted a Cup ever. So think twice. He is a colleague of mine, but that’s my answer to him,” Shastri told Times Now.

Speaking on Suryakumar’s much-debated catch in the final, Shastri silenced the haters, saying: “Sour grapes. And go and check the record books after five years. The name India will be engraved on it.”

Fifteen years after England duo of Michael Vaughan and Andrew Flintoff ended their Test careers, their sons are likely to begin their journey in the traditional format at the age-group level in two Tests against Sri Lanka. Archie Vaughan, son of the former Ashes-winning England captain, was on Tuesday named in a 14-member squad that also includes 16-year-old Rocky Flintoff, who has already made his international debut in youth ODIs. Family connection runs deep in the squad that also features Farhan Ahmed, brother of current England leg-spinner Rehan and Jaydn Denly, the 17-year-old nephew of ex-England batter Joe Denly.

“They’ve helped me and given me more confidence in my leadership on and off the field, advising on bowling options and field placements,” skipper Hamza Shaikh told Warwickshire’s website.

“I like to think I’m a fairly calm guy and captaincy doesn’t faze me. I’m looking forward to the challenge and hopefully coming away with a series win.” A top-order batter and off-spinner, Archie, 18, represented Somerset in his first professional contract earlier this season. He had been been part of the county’s academy set-up at Taunton since 2020.

He is however yet to play for Somerset first-team. But at age-group level last week, he caught the attention with a 83-ball 85 for Young Lions Invitational XI in a warm-up match against the England U19 ODI squad, for whom Rocky, a right-handed allrounder, top-scored with 106.

Vaughan and Flintoff Sr had played 48 Tests together between 1999 and 2008.

England U19 side will take on Sri Lanka U19 in two Tests, at Wormsley from July 8-11, and Cheltenham from July 16-19.

England U19 Squad: Hamza Shaikh (c), Farhan Ahmed, Charlie Brand, Jack Carney, Jaydn Denly, Rocky Flintoff, Kesh Fonseka, Alex French, Alex Green, Eddie Jack, Freddie McCann, Harry Moore, Noah Thain and Archie Vaughan.

File image of Sourav Ganguly© BCCI

Team India broke their 10-year drought of reaching the T20 World Cup final, as they defeated England by 68 runs in the semi-final of the 2024 edition on Thursday. India’s comprehensive victory sent a wave of jubilation all across the globe, with Indians in every nook and corner celebrating the accomplishment. However, former England captain Michael Vaughan triggered a conspiracy theory, suggesting Guyana was an excellent ground for the Indian team, hence the result. But, India great Harbhajan Singh was in no mood to sit back and digest Vaughan’s verdict.

“If England had beaten SA they would have got the Trinidad semi and I believe they would have won that game .. So no complaints they haven’t been good enough .. But Guyana has been a lovely venue pick for India,” Vaughan had posted on X (formerly Twitter).

In reply, Harbhajan said: “What makes u think Guyana was a good venue for India ? Both Teams played on the same venue . England won the toss that was an advantage . Stop being silly . England was outplayed by India in all departments. Accept the fact and Move on and keep ur rubbish with urself. Talk logic not Nonsense.”

What makes u think Guyana was a good venue for India ? Both Teams played on the same venue . England won the toss that was an advantage . Stop being silly . England was outplayed by India in all departments. Accept the fact and Move on and keep ur rubbish with urself. Talk logic… https://t.co/2osEFYJeFC

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) June 27, 2024

Vaughan has been going on and on about the venue change for the semi-final at the T20 World Cup 2024. He shared a few posts before the start of the semi-final between India and England as well, suggesting Rohit Sharma‘s men were originally scheduled to play their semi-final in Trinidad but the venue was later changed to Guyana.

In his concluding post, however, Vaughan also admitted that India were the better side than England on the day.

“India throughly deserve to be in the final .. The best team in tournament so far .. Was always going to hard for England on this pitch .. India just so much better on lower slower spinning pitches,” he said in another post.

“England will have lost 3 out of 4 games to the Top teams so they can’t have any complaints .. Just haven’t been good enough .. on the back of the 50 over WC it just clarifies that England have work to do playing on slower wickets..,” Vaughan concluded.