Don't worry about the Ashes, just try to win now: Michael Vaughan's advice to England before New Zealand series
Michael Vaughan has urged the England team management to pick their best possible side for the upcoming two-match Test series against New Zealand. Vaughan wants England to concentrate on winning the Test series against the Kiwis instead of thinking too much about the Ashes, which will start in December.
England are expected to play a fairly different side against New Zealand as the likes of Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow, Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Moeen Ali, who were part of the now-suspended IPL 2021, have been given extended time off by the ECB. Meanwhile, Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes are also missing out through injuries.
With so many key players already unavailable, Michael Vaughan wants England to return to winning ways by fielding their strongest possible XI after the drubbing they received in India earlier in the year.
"Don't worry about six months' time, just try to win now, [England boss] Chris Silverwood just has to make the right call, and pick a team that can win. It was like a different game out in India, but when you are only seven Tests away from an Ashes you just have to get back to winning ways," Michael Vaughan said on the Tuffers and Vaughan podcast.
Ben Foakes' injury means James Bracey is in line to make his Test debut at Lord's tomorrow. Ollie Robinson is another English cricketer who could be handed his debut at the iconic venue.
Michael Vaughan wants England to play Stuart Broad and James Anderson together
England have heavily rotated their players over the past few months, but Michael Vaughan now wants the team to regularly play James Anderson and Stuart Broad together.
"I would personally go for [James] Anderson, [Stuart] Broad and [Mark] Wood this week, and Jack Leach - those are four bowlers I believe I can trust in all conditions. I've been very vocal in the last two years about not playing Anderson and Broad together and making sure that you are building. But I am at the stage now, with seven Tests to go, where the building should have been done and it is now about getting a team to play and win so they get down to Australia with that winning mentality," Michael Vaughan added
England will undoubtedly want to iron out any chinks in their armor before going into the Ashes Down Under. But prior to that, Joe Root and co. will be tested by New Zealand and India.
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