Vaughan vows to lead at World Cup

England captain Michael Vaughan has vowed to lead next month's World Cup bid after limping out of the tour of Australia.

Vaughan's injury jinx struck again to rule him out of the best-of-three Commonwealth Bank Series finals, sparking fears that the recurring left hamstring injury may hamper him in the Caribbean.

"The medical staff have told me there is absolutely no doubt I will be on the plane for the World Cup," Vaughan said. "It has been very disappointing on this tour to have no problems with my right knee and then a hamstring comes about. I am desperate to play but we have to look at the future and certainly the next few weeks with the World Cup in mind."

England take on Australia in the first final at the MCG on Friday without the 32-year-old, who aggravated the problem in the 14-run victory over New Zealand on Tuesday which sealed their passage.

He missed five matches after incurring the problem in the tour's maiden victory, over the Kiwis in Hobart, and worsened the condition twice: firstly in practice in Perth and again in his Gabba comeback.

England's medical team have advised 10 days' rest but the fact Vaughan has struggled to maintain his fitness over any sustained period since the first of two knee operations 14 months ago is a real concern ahead of the two-month slog of the World Cup.

In addition to Vaughan, England are likely to leave for the tournament on March 2 with injury clouds over James Anderson (back) and Jon Lewis (Achilles).

The inclusion of that trio, however, is no longer a gamble after the International Cricket Council ruled injured players can be replaced at any time in the light of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds' shoulder damage.

"It is a good decision by the ICC to allow that to happen and we have Jimmy Anderson and Jon Lewis and myself with the kind of niggles which could reoccur," said Vaughan.

*Source: http://annanova.com

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