Vaughan is facing a testing inquest

"I will think about the team which I believe can win at Trent Bridge," said Vaughan.

"It's up to the selectors to decide which way they want the team to go as well."

Vaughan declined to elaborate on his post-match dressing room speech. Whatever he said, though, it cannot have been more damning than his acceptance of the media conference suggestion that South Africa were more hungry for success at Lord's than England.

The new skipper could not put his finger on why that was the case, nor could Fletcher, although the coach did put forward the somewhat bizarre theory that England might have been "a little bit complacent" after emerging from the First Test with an ultimately comfortable draw.

Vaughan's thoughts today will be centred around Hussain, Stewart, Gough and Thorpe - and it is fair to assume that he has already spoken individually to the first three members of that quartet.

There were rumours throughout the Lord's Test that Hussain and Gough were ready to quit, rumours which neither player substantiated and both Vaughan and Fletcher insisted had not been stood up.

As for Stewart, Vaughan will want to know whether a poor performance, especially in front of the stumps, during the Second Test has finally left the 40-year-old wondering whether there is any petrol left in the tank.

But if Hussain, Gough and Stewart take some thinking about, what of Thorpe?

Perhaps he believes the Surrey left-hander is still not worth recalling because he could disrupt the dressing room if his personal life problems, brought about by a broken marriage, resurface.

"I don't know where that has come from," said Vaughan. " Graham is a very, very good batsman.

"If Thorpey is in the right state of mind I'm sure the selectors will give him a lot of thought because he's a fantastic player and has been for England for a number of years."