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England vs India: Michael Vaughan calls for ODI 'clear-out' as he believes Alastair Cook and Ian Bell should be dropped

Bell will miss the final ODI against India through injury as England seek to avoid another embarrassing defeat having already lost the series

Agency
Thursday 04 September 2014 08:30 BST
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Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan playing for England in 2008
Ian Bell and Michael Vaughan playing for England in 2008 (Getty Images)

Ian Bell will miss the fifth and final Royal London Series match against India and former England captain Michael Vaughan would like to see him miss the World Cup as well.

Many questions have been asked of England's one-day set up after three successive heavy defeats against India in the past week, with captain Alastair Cook coming in for particular criticism from many quarters.

Vaughan believes that Cook should stand down from 50-over duty but would like to see the changes go further than the man at the helm ahead of the World Cup next year with Bell, who has played 148 ODIs for England, also in the firing line.

"It means sweeping away a lot of baggage and having a clear-out of guys like Cook and Ian Bell," he wrote in his Daily Telegraph column, published online. "But England one-day cricket needs a refresh."

Vaughan would like to see the likes of Alex Hales and Jason Roy given a more prominent role in the side and believes that the style of cricket played and advocated by Cook is no longer fit for purpose in the modern limited-overs game.

"Mike Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Andrew Strauss and myself thought we could do the job - but we were Test match cricketers and could not adapt," he added.

"Cook is cut from similar cloth and, at the moment, he is dropping players from the team who are better one-day cricketers than him.

"The captain is going up to players telling them they are not in the team - and they must be looking back wondering 'how are you still in it?"'

Vaughan advocates replacing Cook as captain with limited-overs specialist Eoin Morgan, and insists it is not too late for a rethink from England coach Peter Moores and his management colleagues.

"With six months to go, other teams are looking at this side and hoping that Cook remains as captain, and opens the batting at next year's World Cup - because they know if that happens England will not be a threat," he said.

"I am speaking out now because, with 13 games to go to the World Cup, there is time to make a difference."

Bell, meanwhile, broke his left big toe after being struck on it while facing throw-downs in practice drills before Tuesday's nine-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, where his number three position was instead filled by Gary Ballance.

An England and Wales Cricket Board press release explained on Wednesday afternoon that Bell has played his last international match of the summer.

It read: "England and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell has been ruled out of the final Royal London ODI against India on Friday with a small fracture to his left big toe, sustained yesterday before the ODI at Edgbaston."

"Bell will not be replaced in the squad for the remaining match."

England's defeat in Birmingham means they have lost the series, and will be trying to avoid a 4-0 whitewash at Headingley on Friday.

PA

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