4 Aug 2008

England to name new captain

7:44 pm on 4 August 2008

England will name a new cricket captain after Michael Vaughan decided to step down following his team's Test series loss to South Africa and Paul Collingwood announced he'd stepped down as one day skipper.

Vaughan, 33, is England's most successful captain with 26 victories in 51 tests.

He quit on Sunday, after South Africa took an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.

His announcement was followed immediately by the news that one-day captain Paul Collingwood had also decided to quit.

South African-born Kevin Pietersen, 28, is the bookmakers' favourite to lead both sides.

Vaughan made only 40 runs in five innings against South Africa and says he's run out of steam.

He won't be available for the final test final Test at The Oval starting on Thursday but hopes to return after a short break.

Collingwood, 32, endured a similar loss of form before scoring 135 at Edgbaston in a losing cause against the South Africans.