Ashes 2017: Michael Vaughan says Joe Root will have to lie to his players that England can beat Australia

The former England skipper makes the Aussies 'clear favourites' to win again

Root is facing an uphill battle Down Under (Getty)

Michael Vaughan believes that Joe Root will have to lie to his England players to convince them they can beat Australia for them to have any chance of doing so in the forthcoming Ashes series.

The former England captain makes Australia “clear favourites” to win if Ben Stokes does not play, especially because of the all-rounder’s inspirational effect on his team-mates. So much so, that the BT Sport pundit Vaughan has told Root that he will have to bend the truth when he motivates to his players.

If the captain is too realistic England will struggle to get up to Australia’s level. England have lost two of their last three Ashes tours 5-0, so may need special encouragement this time.

“[Root]’s greatest challenge is going to be to convince the team they can win,” Vaughan said on Thursday. “It may be that he has to lie a bit and con them. He might have to blow up a few tyres that might be flat, and convince them they are good enough to beat this Australian team.”

Root has this psychological job, to lift the England players, in part because of the likely absence of his talismanic vice-captain and all-rounder Stokes. He is waiting to hear if he will be charged following a well-publicised late night incident, and if he is not there then England will have to find their inspiration from elsewhere. To say nothing of his runs, wickets and fielding brilliance.

“I am sure Australia respect a lot of our players but the one they fear the most is not going to be there,” Vaughan said of Stokes. “I’ve not seen too many celebrations from the Australians but I am sure in private they have cracked open a few bottles of Penfolds [Australian wine]. If David Warner was injured next week and out of the Ashes I am sure you would find the England players celebrating.”

Vaughan said that Stokes’ destructive qualities make him England’s second-best batsman behind Root, but for the former England captain, it comes down most of all to mentality.

“It is not disrespecting Alastair Cook but I would say Stokes is England’s second best player with the bat,” Vaughan said. “With the ball he is erratic at times but he has an impact. In the field you know he will produce something. More importantly it is his mindset.

Vaughan will be part of BT Sports' commentary team for the Ashes this winter (Getty)

“I watch England walk out on the field and when Stokes is in the team they walk out two inches taller. If he is not there in Brisbane you would have to say Australians are clear favourites to win the series.”

While Vaughan has been impressed with some of England’s recent performances, he said that they would have to play in a more disciplined, patient, less explosive style in Australia. England’s patient cricket was how they won in 2010-11 and Vaughan warned that if they are too aggressive they will fall apart.

“You know Australia will have a bit of magic in them,” Vaughan said. “Can Joe convince his players to play a style of cricket over a period to win? The problem with this Test team over the last two years is they have had moments where we have all thought they were brilliant. And then the week after, like at Headingley, you have thought what the hell was that?”

England surprisingly lost by five wickets to the West Indies in August, days after beating them by an innings and 209 runs. Vaughan knows that inconsistency will be fatal in Australia.

“Root has to make sure England are consistently playing at a level to take the game into days four and five,” Vaughan said. “I don’t see them blowing Australia away in three days.

“They will win over there by playing how they did in 2010-11: by scoring lots of runs in the first innings, batting for periods of time, nullifying good spells of bowling and not thinking we are going to attack all the time. If they think they can continue to throw their hands at the ball they will not win in Australia.”

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