Vaughan: time is right to bail out

MICHAEL VAUGHAN joked that being bowled out by his three-year-old son was enough to tell him it was the right time to retire from professional cricket.

The former England captain, 34, yesterday closed the curtain on a glittering career that stretches back almost 17 years.

Vaughan, England’s most successful post-war Test captain, pointed to his stewardship of the 2005 Ashes triumph over Australia as the pinnacle of his time in the sport.

But having been overlooked for the training squad for the 2009 series, coupled with his recent omission from Yorkshire’s squad for a Twenty20 encounter, he feels the time is right to walk away.

And he insisted he would leave with no regrets.

Vaughan said: “It’s been difficult. My decision came two weeks ago at Worcester. I just started to realise that there are younger players around the Yorkshire team and around the England team that need to be given the chance to move the game forward.

“I’ve given it my best shot – seven or eight months ago I was thinking I should step down before December, but I wanted to give it one last effort to try to get into the Ashes squad.

“I haven’t been playing well enough, in some instances my body hasn’t been reacting the way I would like it to.

“And I guess two weeks ago when in the garden with my little lad Archie, he bowled a ball, it hit a weed and it knocked my off stump out of the ground.

“I think that was the time, if a three-year-old is bowling me out, then it’s time to move over.”

Vaughan, who ended his Test career with an average of 41.44 spent an hour on the phone yesterday with current England captain Andrew Strauss discussing his decision.

Strauss was quick to pay a glowing tribute to his former leader.

“It’s hard to speak highly enough about what he achieved. He took England to a new level,” said Strauss.

“His achievements can’t be underestimated. He’s without doubt the best captain I’ve played under.”