Vaughan unlikely to make tour return, says Nixon

MELBOURNE, Jan 31 (Reuters) England captain Michael Vaughan is unlikely to play any further part in the tour of Australia due to a lingering hamstring strain, said wicketkeeper Paul Nixon.

Vaughan missed the Ashes test series as he recuperated from a knee injury and tweaked the hamstring during England's only victory in the one-day tri-series so far, against New Zealand in Hobart on January 16.

Vaughan has missed the last four matches, and with England needing to beat Australia in Sydney on Friday and see off New Zealand in Brisbane on Tuesday to have a realistic chance of reaching the finals, Nixon suggested his short tour was over.

''I actually had a bat with Michael in a centre wicket practice a few days ago, and his hamstring wasn't quite up to scratch,'' Nixon told reporters today.

''He struggled running, he is still having a lot of rehab work done, time in the swimming pool, a bit of acupuncture.

''But I don't think Vaughany will be taking much part, I really don't, sadly. It is just too sore at the moment.'' England have missed Vaughan's mental resolve after a succession of woeful batting collapses left their World Cup preparations in tatters.

Nixon admitted England had under-performed, picking out the side's fielding performances as one of the biggest headaches going into the World Cup campaign at the end of March.

''The catching on the whole, has been slightly under par,'' Nixon said.

''The skies are very difficult out here, it is probably easier catching under lights, when it is dark, than it is in the sunshine.

''We have worked very hard on our fielding. We have gone through everything, but nothing is the same as the intensity of the game.'' REUTERS PM HT1445