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Coach says Australia will 'exploit any deficiency'

We'll target Vaughan - Buchanan

AFP

January 8, 2007

Michael Vaughan will have to stand up to Australia during the tri-series © Getty Images

Australia will attempt to exploit Michael Vaughan's lack of match fitness during the tri-series starting on Friday, according to the coach John Buchanan. Vaughan was confirmed as England's captain for the competition on Sunday, taking over from Andrew Flintoff, who was in charge when the tourists lost the Ashes 5-0.

Buchanan wants his team to keep the heat on England during the one-day series, which begins on Friday at the MCG. The teams will also appear in a warm-up for the competition also involving New Zealand when they contest a Twenty20 game at the SCG on Tuesday.

"We try to exploit any deficiency, whether it's technical, physical, mental or tactical," Buchanan said. "If we understand that Michael's struggling physically, then that will be one area we will like to target.

"That will be the same with anybody. If we can detect weaknesses in their armoury, that will be an area we'll try to exploit."

It has been 18 months since Vaughan last played a one-day international and 13 months since he appeared in a Test. Although he has recovered from knee surgery, he is yet to prove his effectiveness in the field and with running between wickets. Vaughan averages only 28 in ODIs and has not scored a century despite playing most of his 74 matches in the top order.

Australia will use the tri-series as a chance to create a buffer between themselves and England and New Zealand ahead of the World Cup in March. "Once we get to the West Indies [for the World Cup] we would have liked to have set a gap between us and two of the teams we'll face over there," Buchanan said. "We'd like to have them in some form of disarray before they got there."

© Cricinfo