LONDON, (Reuters) - Former captain Michael Vaughan  expects he will have to regain his place in the England team by  next month if he is to make the Ashes squad.

Vaughan, who was named in England’s 25-man performance squad  yesterday, said the selectors will have settled on their side  to face Australia in July by the time the test series against  West Indies begins on May 6.

“They will pick the team for the first test against the West  Indies with one eye on the Ashes,” said Vaughan, who was playing  for the MCC against Durham at Lord’s yesterday.

“I would very much expect the side that is picked for that  to be the same one that takes on Australia in the first Ashes  test. Hopefully, I will be part of it,” he told Reuters.

Vaughan has not been involved in international cricket since  resigning as England captain last August, after his side had  lost the test series to South Africa.

Having spent the close season training with his county team  Yorkshire, the 34-year-old said he had put that disappointment  behind him and was ready to return to the England team.

“I really enjoyed being away from international cricket,”  said Vaughan, who has played in 82 test matches. “I just needed  that break, spending time on my own and time with Yorkshire, who  are great bunch of guys.

“Now I feel refreshed and ready. I’m in the right kind of  mind and form to go out and play for England again.”
Vaughan is most likely to be in contention for the  problematic number three slot on the England batting card, with  Ian Bell dropped from that position over the winter and Owais  Shah having failed to make an impact in his place.

Vaughan impressed playing at number three for Yorkshire in  pre-season games in Abu Dhabi, scoring 115 and 46 in matches  against Surrey and Middlesex respectively, but he knows he must  reproduce that form in competitive matches to regain his England  place.

“I played nicely in Abu Dhabi but that was in different  conditions [to England],” he said. “Besides that’s not how I  judge my form. It’s all about [county] games now. All I can do  is look to play to the best of my ability and see where that  takes me.”