Vaughan Out of India Tour to Put England Career in Doubt

Michael Vaughan, who resigned as England's cricket captain this summer in tears and pleading exhaustion, will not be named next week on the tour to India after it was agreed he should have a prolonged break from the international game.

Vaughan had committed the final stages of his county season at Yorkshire to recovering his batting form and appetite for the game but a string of failures, which brought him only 41 runs in four championship innings, and a disturbing lack of energy have persuaded both him and England to think again.

He had emergency meetings with the England selector James Whitaker last week and admitted that he still felt mentally drained. England have opted to give him an extended break with the intention that he will miss a two-Test tour of India before Christmas and return against the West Indies in the new year. It may be, however, that Vaughan's 82-Test career - 51 as captain, a figure exceeded only by Michael Atherton - is now at an end.

At 33, and with three serious knee injuries behind him, doubts have been cast on his ability to prolong his career long enough to become a major force in next summer's Ashes series against Australia.

Vaughan made the shock decision to withdraw from Yorkshire's final championship match of the season against Sussex in Hove this week, a game which they entered at risk of relegation, which led to suggestions that as well as suffering from further knee problems he was "mentally shot". Yorkshire are also aware that he has been exploring further career options which range from a quick financial fix with the Twenty20 IPL next spring and a position on Sky TV's commentary team.

The clever money says that after a prolonged rest Vaughan will join England's tour of the West Indies and, if that does not work out, will link up with Sky for next summer's Ashes series. He was awarded a new central contract with England this month but the selectors will point to the fact that last year Andrew Strauss was not selected for the tour to Sri Lanka and his Test career is still flourishing.