Speculation is mounting over Darren Gough's future after he contacted Yorkshire yesterday and asked if he could be rested from tomorrow's day-night match against Warwickshire Bears at Headingley.

England's new captain Michael Vaughan and his county skipper Anthony McGrath are both playing in the game, and although Gough was also available he did not wish to be considered.

Gough has clearly struggled after resuming his Test career following a two-year lay-off with an injured knee and in the first two Tests against South Africa he has taken just one wicket at a cost of 215 runs.

In the second Test at Lord's, when Vaughan took over the captaincy from Nasser Hussain, Gough toiled for 28 overs without reward and there were reports over the weekend that he was seriously considering telling the England selectors that enough was enough and that he was packing in his international career.

But Gough may also be asking himself if he still wants to go on playing county cricket once his England days are over and that is the question he could currently be pondering.

Gough is a resilient character and after a few days' rest he may be eager to try to add to his 229 Test wickets in the third Test at Trent Bridge next week.

If England drop him he will have to decide if he is happy to help Yorkshire for the rest of the season.

Despite having plenty on his mind in the run-up to the Lord's Test last week, Vaughan still found time to contact Yorkshire's director of cricket, Geoff Cope, and tell him he would very much like to play in tomorrow's day-night match.

"I thought it said a lot for his character that he wanted to think ahead to the Yorkshire game even at the most important time of his career," said Cope.

Yorkshire are rubbing their hands at the return of Vaughan and McGrath because their presence should substantially boost the gate, particularly as the hot weather is due to continue.

Even more importantly, the England pair may be able to get Phoenix back to winning ways in a last-ditch effort to avoid relegation to the Second Division of the National League. So far they have lost seven out of nine games and are bottom of the table.

Gavin Hamilton has been included in a squad of 14 but the return of McGrath could mean there is no room for out-of-form Indian left-hander Yuvraj Singh, who was axed from the Championship game against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham last week and only managed five in the National League clash with the Gladiators on Sunday.

Yorkshire (from): Wood, Fleming, Vaughan, Lumb, White, McGrath, Yuvraj Singh, Hamilton, Craven, Blakey, Gray, Silverwood, Kirby, Bresnan.

* New captain Michael Vaughan has been given an influential voice towards deciding what direction England take as they attempt to bounce back from their convincing second Test defeat by South Africa.

The selectors will assemble on Thursday to discuss the selection of their squad for the next Test at Trent Bridge on August 14 with question marks remaining about the long-term futures of several members of the line-up.

Whether they remain in the team will depend on whether Vaughan, who only took over the captaincy from Nasser Hussain a week ago, decides to concentrate on the current challenge of overcoming a strong South African side or look to the future by introducing young players to galvanise the side with enthusiasm.

Vaughan does not have an official vote on the selection panel - comprising chairman David Graveney, coach Duncan Fletcher, Rod Marsh and Geoff Miller - but he has already been told that his views will carry great weight prior to the announcement of the squad on Saturday.

''Michael now has the chance to settle back and get a better understanding of the job that was presented to him,'' explained Graveney.

''Michael is a very impressive guy and I'm sure he will take everything in his stride.

''I hope he has a couple of days now away from the spotlight to decide what he wants because what he wants is going to have a major bearing in our selection meeting later this week.''

The Yorkshire opener has already indicated he will speak to the trio of experienced players - Hussain, Alec Stewart and Darren Gough - probably most under threat if England do consider changes for Nottingham.

Stewart has already announced he will be retiring at the end of this summer and would like to say his farewell in the last Test at The Oval, but inconsistent wicketkeeping in difficult conditions and a second ball duck in the second innings at Lord's has weakened his position, particularly as younger wicketkeepers like Chris Read of Nottinghamshire and Kent's Geraint Jones are challenging.

Hussain's future seems equally uncertain having given up the captaincy while Gough, who has claimed only one wicket in two Tests since returning nearly two years out with knee problems, is at the centre of speculation that he may also announce his retirement.

''This is nothing more than speculation as far as I'm concerned, but that speculation doesn't help Michael do his job,'' stressed Graveney.

''We need to find out exactly what the status is of those players and I will speak to them as I will all the players to find out how they are before the selection meeting.

''Nasser is a very emotional and passionate person about his cricket and it was a huge decision he had to make about the captaincy. He's been wrestling with where his life goes from there, but we want him to carry on playing because he's a top player and averages over 40 in the last year or so for England.

''We've got to look collectively at how we beat South Africa and we will look at all the aspects, but I've always seen Andrew Flintoff and Alec as doing the balancing for the team.

''It will be a sad day when Alec eventually gives up playing for England, but we've got some young wicketkeepers coming through and it's been a subject we've discussed all year as selectors.''

As the selectors begin their deliberations, coach Fletcher is coming under increasing pressure in his fourth year in charge, having failed to give any clear answers for his side's sub-standard second Test performance