Michael Vaughan on 2005 Ashes, Kevin Pietersen, Steve Harmison and Australian cricket
England’s Ashes-winning mastermind Michael Vaughan opens up to Robert Craddock on the 2005 series, the intimidating Aussies, and the key to unlocking Kevin Pietersen’s gifts.
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Michael Vaughan will forever be remembered as the clever captain who masterminded England’s stunning Ashes series win over Australia in 2005.
Australians had already rated him highly after he scored 633 runs in Australia in 2002-03.
The colourful Vaughan, who now spends his summers in Australia commentating for Fox Cricket, talks about playing with the enigmatic Andrew Flintoff, why you had to be a good actor against Australia, why he likes Geoff Boycott and why the celebrations which followed the 2005 Ashes win will never be seen again.
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What about the celebrations after the 2005 Ashes. They seemed to go on forever?
Yes I don’t think the likes of it will ever been seen again. These days there are a lot of PR types around making sure they look and sound right where we were just unleashed to do what we liked.
Most memorable celebration moment?
I remember one night coming back to the hotel from a nightclub and it was very late and I told Freddy Flintoff we had to meet in the foyer at 8am because we were being taken around Trafalgar Square and he said “no f----- will turn up.’’ They reckon a million people turned up and around the streets near Trafalgar Square there was 25,000. We didn’t realise it was that big.
You were given the freedom of Sheffield. What did that mean?
I think I can take my sheep through the town centre. I believe my kids can get married at the town hall.
You were one of the few overseas batsmen who conquered in Australia. What was your game plan?
You had to be a good actor against Australia. There were times when Steve Waugh, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer would be really intimidating. You had to act as if they did not affect you. Deep down you would be thinking “how am I going to play against this lot?’’ They were the most intimidating team I played. I tried to fight fire with fire. Not much was expected of us so it was almost as if you had a free hit.
You once said you used to kick it around a bit in your early years and the game felt like a bit of a hobby. What was that?
I wanted it to be a career but it took me a few years to realise I had to be more professional. From around 18 to 22 I did alright but around 22 I realised I had to make a stab at it.
What happened?
I saw the way Darren Lehmann and Michael Bevan batted for Yorkshire. I would make 80 then score 10. They would score 80, 50 then 100. Lehmann was not the most professional pro in some ways but he was strong in the mind. That taught me a lot. I was a good runner between wickets but he felt I could be better so I ran harder and would get five or six more runs a session. Might not sound much but it could mean 20 more a day.
Coming from Yorkshire, what are your thoughts about famous Yorkshiremen such as Dickie Bird?
He was never married but he was married to cricket. That was his lifelong relationship. I dread to think how he gets through an off-season. He still goes to every Yorkshire game and even paid for the construction of a new players’ balcony.
Another Yorkie, Geoff Boycott, polarises people. Which side are you on?
When I played I tried to avoid him. He is what he is. He is a caricature of himself. Some things he said you would take on board but he was quite ruthless. But I have worked with him for 10 years (on radio) and I would have to say he is my favourite commentator to work with.
Why?
He knows how to play the entertainment card and gets the line but if you dissect what he says he may put a cherry on top but he gets it. Most of the time he is spot on. He was pretty good to me because I was a Yorkshireman but when the English captaincy came around he was the only person who went for me. He saw something in me. Everyone else was saying Marcus Trescothick or Mark Butcher.
Your appointment as English captain, first as a 50 over leader, came out of the blue didn’t it?
Yes. I was on the first hole playing golf when (selection boss) David Graveney rang up and asked me was I interested and what I would do as captain. I said I would make them better. He rang back when I was on the third and told me I had it.
One other Yorkshireman … Sir Michael Parkinson?
I know Parky well. He was always around the place and would host benefit functions. I loved his interviews. One thing I would say about him was that he was really fair. He just seemed to be able to appreciate the challenges a sportsman was going through and it was not always going to be rosy.
When you took over as Test captain you had guys like Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton who had suffered so much at Australia’s hands. Did you have to have an Australian detox?
No, the senior guys were good guys. I did change a few things which interrupted their methods such as the way we went about fitness. But we had to turn up in the 2005 Ashes with a fresh side. We also had to change the way we walked about Australia. We could admire them but you cannot talk them up all the time.
You once said your key as captain was you had to get to know your players and that included some late nights with Andrew Flintoff. What did you make of him?
I was trying to find out more about my players, their quirks and what made them tick … their hobbies. I just felt with Freddy he needed to forget the pressure and just play. He certainly did not want to sit in a team meeting and talk tactics and watch clips of the opposition.
You seemed to find the key to Kevin Pietersen. How?
Well he likes to be involved. He is insecure and that is like a lot of big stars. They want to be the best player and be talked about more than anyone else and that is all about an insecurity. They want to be loved. I did not give him ultimate love all the time – I was quite straight – but I wanted him to know we were desperate for him in our team.
And you had to make sure he was looked after financially?
Yes. One of his driving forces was earning money – he was not a massive spender – but that is fine. I never had a problem with that.
Marcus Trescothick has revealed he suffered a lot of serious mental health issues when he played. Were you aware of them?
Looking back there was always a vulnerability about him when we talked. He was not quite right. It was amazing given everything how well he played. He went on tours from 10 years and was obviously uncomfortable with every single one of them. Particularly in the subcontinent he was our best player by a mile.
Steve Harmison was interesting because he was homesick, wasn’t he?
He was the one we were worried about more. He would not even get on the plane. There were a couple of tours when he was at Newcastle airport and we got the call saying he did not want to get on the plane. He just hated going away from his home bubble. Those two particularly had to deal with deep mental illnesses.
How have you found spending you summers in Australia with Fox?
I love the way they do TV here in that you just feel you can say what you think and it is not as scrutinised as it is back home. There are five rights holders here yet they all might mix at night and they don’t care who you are with where in England the radio and television side don’t really mix which they should do more.
Originally published as Michael Vaughan on 2005 Ashes, Kevin Pietersen, Steve Harmison and Australian cricket