By JMB
September 15 2006

Injured captain Michael Vaughan has backed England to retain the Ashes with or without him this winter. Vaughan was thought to have been ruled out of the series against Australia starting in November but he insists he has not yet given up hope of taking part. "I've given comeback dates in the past and I've stopped doing that now because of the setbacks I've had - I'm just going sit tight and wait and see."

Yet even if the 31-year-old, who led England to their first Ashes win for 18 years last summer, fails to make it he is convinced the side are good enough to triumph in his absence.

Vaughan said: "I'm very confident in whoever leads the team to produce a fantastic winter ahead and make sure we retain the Ashes. There is always a slight worry it will take time to adjust to international cricket but the guys who have come in have done really well."

He added: "I am determined to get back on a cricket pitch sooner rather than later.
"If that is December or January, or if not I've got to be patient, but I'm determined to make sure that does happen."

Vaughan is also hoping that Lancashire will lift the Liverpool Victoria County Championship. The Red Rose side, who sit at the top of the table with just four games to go - three of them at home - are on course to clinch the title outright for the first time since 1934. He revealed that there were a number of reasons aside from his Lancastrian roots for his support - including the impact of the coach and the county's blossoming youth policy.

"I have a load of mates there and they have had to wait for a hell of a long time to get to this position," he said. "And on top of that I have a lot of respect for what Mike Watkinson has done. He's managed to build a really strong squad with lots of depth and more importantly for the future of English cricket, it's great to see so many youngsters coming through."

Vaughan won the championship with his Yorkshire side in 2001 and he believes that if Lancs can show mental toughness they should succeed in their quest.

"It's a long slog and it's all about getting over the finishing line," he said. "People say that when you're at the top it makes life easier but I can vouch for the fact it doesn't - you find yourself constantly looking over your shoulders. Lots of big names have tried to bring the championship back to Lancashire and haven't succeeded but if this year's team can keep their mental toughness then they should do it."

He added that he regarded himself as "a Yorkshireman through and through" but said: "If it's not Yorkshire who win it - and it won't be this year - then obviously because I was born this side of the Pennines I'd like to see Lancashire do it."

If the right-hander does not make the trip it would appear that captain's duties will fall to Middlesex's Andrew Strauss or Lancashire's Andrew `Freddie' Flintoff.

"Strauss has done really well recently and the success over Pakistan has been impressive," said Vaughan. "But don't underestimate what Fred did on the tour to India last winter. To go out there with the injuries we had and get a draw was a great achievement."

He believes that the burden of the captaincy, on top of batting and bowling is something the all-rounder could cope with. "Fred's a big player and if anyone can bat, bowl, field and captain, then it's him."