Vaughan holds key role in the tour debate

Michael Vaughan, English cricket's man of the moment, could soon be a key figure in the controversy over this summer's tour by Zimbabwe.

Vaughan has just been crowned a 'cricketer of the year' by Wisden and is widely expected to be appointed national one-day captain next week in succession to Nasser Hussain.

But the Yorkshire batsman is also a member of an advisory group newly created by the Professional Cricketers' Association - the players' union.

The panel, made up of experienced and respected county campaigners like Matthew Maynard (Glamorgan) and Martin Bicknell (Surrey), was formed earlier this year.

As yet, it has neither met nor been called upon to discuss any issues within the game.

But Zimbabwe's arrival in London tomorrow, and a steadily mounting campaign of opposition to the tour going ahead, ought to spark Vaughan and Co into some sort of debate. Fears over safety persuaded England to withdraw from their World Cup match in Harare during February.

But the question now being asked of Vaughan and every other cricketer in this country is whether or not they believe it is morally right to play against a country where democracy has died and millions of citizens are said to be facing starvation under Robert Mugabe's brutal rule.