England marvel at their stability

David Lloyd|Evening Standard|In Johannesburg

14 April 2012

Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher have worked themselves into quite a double act for England.

Vaughan is the captain whose laid-back approach to leadership has encouraged his team of talented individuals to blossom while coach Fletcher remains the straight guy, plotting, planning and apparently never panicking behind the scenes.

The results, especially this year, have been spectacular with England winning 10 of 11 Tests and securing three thumping series victories.

But it wasn't always like that for either man - and their return to South Africa this week reminds them of a time when the side was anything but settled.

Both Vaughan and Fletcher began their England careers here five years ago. Vaughan was one of several newcomers in a squad that even cricket anoraks might struggle to name now while Fletcher had just taken on the coaching role after spells with Glamorgan and Western Province.

"When we came out here in 1999 I'd basically only met the captain, Nasser Hussain, about a month before the tour," recalled Fletcher. "And I didn't know some of the players when they walked into the hotel at the airport." Vaughan was one of them.

They both knew a good deal more about each other, however, after the first Test of that South Africa series. Vaughan - on debut - found himself at the crease in Johannesburg with England facing humiliation on two for four.

Fletcher, by all accounts, was the only person in the visitors' dressing room at The Wanderers not in a flap.

Out in the middle, meanwhile, Vaughan dug 33 character-building runs from the rubble of an innings damaged beyond repair - and that, too, offered hope.

Now, in 2004, it is England who are on a roll, riding high in the Test rankings behind only Australia, while South Africa have slipped to sixth place and are trying to halt the slide. Today they name their squad ahead of next week's First Test and are in disarray. There are even suggestions that Herschelle Gibbs - one of their acknowledged stars - may be excluded from the starting line-up.

"Maybe South Africa's confidence won't be as high as it should be and we have to make sure we take advantage of that," said Fletcher.

"It was very strange in 1999," he added, when the squad contained a host of untested players like Darren Maddy, Chris Adams, Gavin Hamilton and Graeme Swann.

"But this time we've played together as a unit for six or seven months and have put in some very good performances. I think we've got a good balance within the side now and also there's the experience from having played together quite a bit. So it's a totally different scenario this time. We come here confident of what we can do.

"But I still believe there is room for improvement with this England side, and that's what makes it so exciting."

South Africa have lost in Sri Lanka and India since Vaughan and Co completed their summer clean sweep. They've never been easy to beat at home, however, and this five-match series should produce plenty of hard fought cricket.

"I don't see us as favourites or as underdogs," said Vaughan as England's Test squad was reunited here following the one-day tour of Zimbabwe.

"We fully expect a stern challenge, but if we can perform to the same level as we have over the last 11 Tests then we will put South Africa under a lot of pressure."

The biggest uncertainty for England is whether they have allowed themselves enough time to prepare for this series.

Half the squad have not batted or bowled in anger for more than two months, and four days of cricket is all they have ahead of them before the opening Test match.

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England marvel at their stability

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