Cricket: Vaughan Heads Home to Get Fit

Michael Vaughan will return to England today to recover fitness in time for the World Cup, leaving Andrew Flintoff to fill in for the third time this winter as England's captain. Twice in the Commonwealth Bank series Flintoff has relinquished the job, and roared with the intensity of old, only to get the job back before the echo has died down. He leads England in the best-of-three final against Australia, beginning at the MCG today.

"Seven to 10 days," is the official estimate to fully repair the hamstring that has dogged Vaughan throughout a one-day series in which he played in only three of the eight group games, and England's first warm-up match against Bermuda is not until March 5 in St Vincent.

"It has been very disappointing on this tour to have no problems with my right knee and then a hamstring comes about," said Vaughan. "I was desperate to play in the finals but we have to look at the future and ... with the World Cup and a decision will be made with that in mind as well."

Cricket is bracing itself for a robust legal battle after the International Cricket Council announced it would "vigorously defend" itself against the accusation of racial discrimination by the umpire Darrell Hair. Lawyers acting on behalf of Hair have described the behaviour of the sport's governing body as "unacceptable and appalling".