Describing Michael Vaughan as the best skipper in the world, England cricket coach Duncan Fletcher says it was an absolute "travesty" that he was not chosen to lead the Rest of the World team against Australia in the recent Super Series.
"In Michael Vaughan England have a captain, of whom they can be immensely proud. There is no doubt in my mind that he is currently the best skipper in the world," Fletcher writes in his book 'Ashes Regained - The Coach's Story', published on Monday.
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"That is why I feel that it is an absolute travesty that he was not chosen to lead the Rest of the World team against Australia in the Super Series," Fletcher said.
The coach said if not as captain, Vaughan warranted a place in the team on his batting skills alone.
"The selectors said that they were going to select players on the strength of their form against Australia. Well, is it my imagination or has Vaughan not done rather well against Australia in the two Test series in which he has played against them?
"He was not as prolific in 2005 as he had been in 2002/03 in Australia, but after two low scores at Lord's I thought that he played very well," the former Zimbabwe cricketer said.
Fletcher said in a high-voltage series like the Ashes, the burden of captaincy was immense and Vaughan had proved himself in the role this summer.
"You have got to remember that any captaincy burden is large, but in an Ashes series such as this it is onerous to the extreme. Vaughan showed his quality throughout the summer."
However, the first foreign coach of the English team said in view of the upcoming Pakistan tour, he would have saved Andrew Flintoff from playing in the Super Series to give him some rest.
"If I am truthful, I would have preferred it that he did not appear in the Super Series. He would have been better off having a rest, otherwise with the Pakistan tour following hard on its heels he will have played almost continuous cricket from April until December," he said.
The coach also described Flintoff as a "supreme cricketer" for his all-round performance in Ashes, which he said deserved to be 'Freddie's Ashes'.
"... the 2005 series will probably be remembered as 'Freddie's Ashes' and I cannot disagree with that judgment. He was a colossus throughout. He might have been struggling a little with the bat at the start of the series but his two half-centuries at Edgbaston changed that, and changed the Australians' opinion of his batting too.
"From then on they realised that they were dealing with a supreme cricketer. His bowling just went from strength to strength."
Recalling the now infamous substitute controversy, Fletcher wondered why Ponting blamed him "when his partner, Damien Martyn, had called him for a suicidal single to cover."
"You know what's more? All the player caused me to burn my toast. Yes, that's right, it was the Saturday afternoon of the Test and I was making some toast in the main changing room.
"I heard the roar and looked up at the television. They showed the replay. Ponting had been run out by a long way. Fantastic. What a brilliant piece of fielding. What's wrong with Ponting? Why doesn't he want to leave the field? I could hear people saying. I forgot about my toast and went out on to the balcony. There was an incident brewing.
Fletcher alleged Ponting abused him on his way to pavilion following the episode.
"Ponting was nearing the boundary's edge, very obviously swearing and cursing... I think that we can safely assume that he was abusing me.
"I altered my gaze towards the England players out in the middle to see what their reaction was. Then I glanced back down at Ponting. He was still ranting and raving. I did not want to be drawn into any sort of conflict, so I smiled. It only incensed him more. He could not take that. He completely blew his top.
"I did not actually think it at the time, but, looking back now, that might have been the moment when it became clear that England were going to reclaim the Ashes..."
Fletcher went on to explain that they did not have any preconceived plan to use substitutes so that they could rest their bowlers. "We never have done. Never will. Ponting was clutching at straws."
