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Former England captain Michael Vaughan fired back at critics and revealed the secret behind being a good captain for England. However, he made some startling revelations from his playing days for England.
Michael Vaughan, the former English captain, is often regarded as one of the greatest skippers in the history of the game. He led England to a historic Ashes triumph in 2005, ending their long streak of defeats for over 18 years.
Despite a long career in the game of cricket, Vaughan has not played for England for even a decade. He amassed over 5719 runs across 82 appearances in the longest format of the game and also captained England in ODIs. However, a shocking stat of his career remains no white-ball international centuries despite 18 centuries in red-ball cricket.
"I didn’t take it too seriously.": Michael Vaughan reveals the secret behind good captaincy
Vaughan had led England to massive success, especially in the longest format of the game, after he took over the captaincy from Nasser Hussain. Under Vaughan's leadership, they won the first-ever Ashes trophy after 18 years.
"At times, I was fine, a great captain. But I didn’t take it too seriously. That’s a good thing to realise that it’s just a game, but knowing it’s also not," he said.
He then went on to add that as a true captain, one must try to position oneself in such a manner in front of the group that they do not feel terrified; however, inside, one always knows that it is far more stressful than it looks.
He further added that though he would be part of team discussions or sit with the selectors to get the team playing, he would try to wing it on most occasions.
Michael Vaughan said he loved playing more for Yorkshire than England
Several players have relished playing international cricket, but English cricketers have often referred to domestic tournaments and county cricket as the favourite part of their careers.
"I loved playing for Yorkshire. I loved it in the 90s, just being on the county treadmill, going around with the team," revealed the former England captain.
He then added that the ultimate bait of captaincy for England was probably the toughest of times, and he was subjected to ultimate pressure. However, he also explained that he adored being England's captain.
"But if you ask me when I was at my happiest, I would say in the 90s playing for Yorkshire. I absolutely adored it," he added.
They tried to cancel me: Vaughan said on his bold career as a broadcaster
Michael Vaughan has had a career in broadcasting that is almost as long as his career as a cricketer. Vaughan said he has been working in the media for 17 years and has only two years left to equal it with his massive career as a player.
"I’m only two years away from equalling my 19 years as a player. People still see me as a player. They tried to cancel me, but it hasn’t happened yet," said Michael Vaughan.
He added, "I feel very lucky and blessed that I get the opportunity to turn up and talk about something I love so much. I’m not too sure how long I’ll do it. It’s harder for the players now with social media, but they get more rewards today, so you take the rough with the smooth."
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