Vaughan says England will have no excuse not to win the Ashes

LONDON - Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan has ramped up the pressure on England by claiming there will be “no excuses” should they fail to return from Australia with the Ashes.
The England team leaves for Australia on Friday to begin their latest quest to win a Test series Down Under for the first time since 1987.

Australia has just suffered a 2-0 series loss against India, slipping to an all-time low of fifth in the latest ICC Test rankings.

England begin an Ashes series ranked above their arch-rivals for the first time and former England skipper Vaughan believes that is a bittersweet statistic for current captain Andrew Strauss.

“For him (Strauss) personally, this is his golden chance to put himself up there with the great captains in cricket history,” The Sun quoted Vaughan, as saying.

He added: “This could be his time to stamp an indelible mark on the English game.

“I will be very disappointed if they do not come back with the Ashes. There are no excuses. They have left no stone unturned,” he said.

Vaughan believes Strauss’ role in the dressing room is the key to success.

“Man for man, Strauss has got to make England believe that they are better than Australia,” he continued.

“Success will come down to whether England can handle the pressure and make Australia start doubting themselves on home soil,” he said. (ANI)