Michael Paul Vaughan is a former English cricketer who went on to become one of the most illustrious players in the game’s history. He was born in the Manchester suburb of Eccles on October 29, 1974.
Michael was mainly a right-handed opening batsman for England, and he helped the team get off to a decent start during his time there. Vaughan is best known for bringing the Ashes back to England following a 19-year absence.
Background
Vaughan was noticed by then-Yorkshire head coach Doug Padgett, who gave him a place in the Yorkshire County Cricket Team, when playing alongside Gary Neville in a U-15 Bunbury Festival match.
Debut
Michael Vaughan made his international debut against South Africa in Johannesburg on November 25, 1999. His success was not excellent, but it was adequate to retain him in the squad.
He came in with a 4/2 lead and stayed on the crease for two hours, scoring 33 runs in the first innings. He did not do well in the second innings, scoring just five runs.
Rise to Glory
In 2001, Michael Vaughan scored his first Test century against Pakistan, but his success was overshadowed by the team’s defeat.
In 2002, he rose to prominence after scoring 900 runs in home test matches against India and Sri Lanka, including four centuries. This includes his highest ranking of 197 in his career.
He managed to shine against Australia in the Ashes in 2002-03, scoring three centuries in the process. His good results propelled him to the top of the ICC batsman rankings.
Low Points
In 2005, Vaughan began suffering from knee problems, which caused him to lose his form and his captaincy. In the first T20I match against Australia, he led England to a loss.
His role in the squad was being challenged when he started skipping matches and series on a regular basis. To make matters worse, he suffered a hamstring injury and ended up with a Golden Duck against New Zealand, which he didn’t like. Following that match, he made sporadic appearances with the team before retiring in 2009.
Captaincy
After Nasser Hussain stepped down as captain of the English One-Day International team in 2003, Michael Vaughan was elected captain. After a brief period as Test captain, he was also chosen.
England won the Ashes for the first time in 19 years under his guidance, and in 2004 they went undefeated in eleven straight test matches. After more than 30 years, England secured away series against the West Indies and South Africa under his captaincy.
He led England to second place in the ICC Test Championship, but England did not win the World Cup in 2007. After a defeat to South Africa in 2008, he subsequently resigned as captain.
Records
Vaughan has a number of rare recordings to his credit. He is one of the few players in history to have both a duck and a century in the same test.
He has a Golden Duck to his credit and has never scored an ODI century. He was the first individual ever to be featured on the cover of Wisden magazine.
Retirement
Michael formally retired in 2009 and went on to work as a Sky Sports analyst. He also manages and operates an Art Balling business as well as a Fitness Gym.