The Sports Psychology Blog
This Sports Psychology blog comes as England wield the axe ahead of the second test against New Zealand.
Cricket: Michael Vaughan - Decisive!
The end of an era. The words of England captain Michael Vaughan, describing the axing of fast bowlers, Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison ahead of the second test at the Basin Reserve, Wellington.
It would have been easy for Vaughan to give his pace duo another outing, in the hope that overs bowled would equate to an improvement in performance. But this is no time for hope. Vaughan has done what the best leaders do in times of trouble. He has been decisive. Not recklessly so. But he has backed his instinct.
Something has been clearly bothering him about Harmison and Hoggard. And as captain, you have to know when to go with your instincts. To trust yourself. You may be wrong. But you have to be true to yourself. To make the difficult decisions.
Michael Vaughan's captaincy has lacked some of the presence and spark that was so much to the fore before his series of knee injuries. Perhaps this Wellington moment, will reinvigorate his identity as a leader. And, at the same time, lift his team.
