Dominic Cork thinks England captain Michael Vaughan should be fighting for his place in the Test side when Andrew Fintoff returns to full fitness.

Vaughan has just led England to a 2-1 series win in New Zealand but Cork thinks that England's selectors need to be ruthless as they try to improve and that could mean axing the skipper when Flintoff proves he is ready to return.

"Michael Vaughan can't just be in the team as a captain," Cork told Sky Sports News. "He needs to perform with the bat.

"If Flintoff comes back in he is not coming back in as a second slip, he is coming back in as an all-rounder. It is weight of runs, weight of performance and wait and see.

"You would either drop a batsman or a bowler. My view, and this is going to be very strange, I would drop Michael Vaughan. You don't just play him as a captain."

Cork admits though that his view is unlikely to be adopted by England's selectors and that Flintoff's recall is more likely to be at the expense of his Lancashire team-mate Jimmy Anderson.

But that would be the easy decision and Cork, who took 131 wickets in 37 Tests for England, also says England have been happy to be harsh in recent weeks.

He said: "I think the easy way to do it, perhaps against a lesser nation in New Zealand, you have to leave Jimmy Anderson out. Obviously pick Flintoff in there and see how the batsmen go.

"But against stronger opposition, South Africa towards the back end of next summer, there has to be some tough decisions. Unfortunately you are not in a nailed on position just because you are a captain.

"They wouldn't drop the captain, especially when he has just won the series, but they have just made tough decisions on (Steve) Harmison and (Matthew) Hoggard."

Cork also warned England not to rush Flintoff back too quickly despite some positive reports back from the United Arab Emirates, where the all-rounder has been taking part in a pre-season tournament with Lancashire.

"Flintoff may be back for that first Test, he has just come back from Dubai on a pre-season tour and he looks good," said Cork.

"But let's not push him back in, let's give him time because a fully fit Andrew Flintoff helps England succeed."

Cork also said he felt that England were poorly prepared at the beginning of the tour to New Zealand.

England went 1-0 down in the three match series and had to scrap their way back to win 2-1. Cork expects better and thinks they need to rekindle the spirit of the 2005 Ashes.

"At the beginning of the tour they showed just how under-prepared they can be at times," he said. "New Zealand are ranked number seven in the world, England are number five. At times they looked like that, low international teams scrambling to get up the league but they are only a couple of places off second or third.

"I think as an international team England have to improve, they have to be more ruthless. Just remember how they won the Ashes in 2005; they were ruthless, they were a team that bonded together, worked together well and they have to start off this summer well.

"They have to beat New Zealand and take on a very strong South African side with confidence."