MICHAEL VAUGHAN concedes that he is under pressure for his Test place after a poor run with the bat, and that he cannot hope to lead England in the Ashes next year unless his batting improves.

Speaking in Loughborough, where he was making up for Yorkshire’s week off with some batting practice against student bowling, Vaughan referred to himself as under pressure more than half a dozen times in a 25-minute conversation. At first he claimed that it was only because he had had a poor last series, but then he conceded that the good form of batsmen outside the Test team was also a factor.

“Yes, I’m under pressure,” he said. “That’s the position I’m in because I’ve not scored runs in a series in New Zealand. You’re always remembered for your last series. There’s a lot of people out there who could be playing Test match cricket.”

Vaughan mentioned Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and Mark Ramprakash. “And that makes things competitive,” said the England captain. “That’s the pressure I’m under. I have got to deliver runs because there are a lot of people knocking on the door.”

Vaughan averaged just 20.5 in New Zealand and has done even worse for Yorkshire since, accumulating 133 runs in five County Championship and Friends Provident Trophy innings.

He hopes that a change in batting position will transform his fortunes. He intends to bat at No 3 at Lord’s rather than open as he did in the winter. First wicket down is the position he prefers as captain; he has concluded that there is insufficient time to switch into batting mode after an innings in the field. His average-split on the winter tours was 37 in the first innings, 19.3 in the second.

“I find it difficult batting as an opener as a captain. I have always preferred batting at one down. That’s where I feel I get most success.”

The statistics back him up: as captain, he averages 47 at No 3, 35 at No 4 and 32 as opener. Asked if he expected to be around for the 2009 Ashes, Vaughan said: “I guess it will be dependent on runs, but it all depends on my position in the team, and to keep that position you need to get runs.”

There is also the small matter of leading England to victory this summer against New Zealand and South Africa.

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