Vaughan fears for spinner's future

England spinner Simon Kerrigan, best known in Australia for being on the receiving end of a brutal Ashes assault from Shane Watson last year, may not be able to recover if he's rushed back into the international fold too soon.

That's the opinion of former England skipper Michael Vaughan, who says he "fears" for Kerrigan if the spinner is handed his second Test cap against India on Thursday.

Kerrigan has been called into England's 14-man squad for the second Test at Lord's after allrounder Moeen Ali's off-spin failed to penetrate in the first Test at Trent Bridge last week.

Vaughan has slammed the decision to recall Kerrigan, saying the left-armer might be scarred for life if India’s batsmen attack him in the same manner Watson did in the fifth Test at The Oval last year. See video below.

Kerrigan returned figures of 0-53 from eight overs against Australia, which included a brutal attack from Watson early on day one that featured six boundaries in Kerrigan's first two overs.

"I fear for Simon Kerrigan," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He's got great potential, but I think England have thrown him back into the environment of international cricket far too soon.

"I really do think you have to look after the person.

"If he goes out there on Thursday morning and all of a sudden the Indians climb into him ... and it's like that situation with Shane Watson, he won't come back for England from that for a long, long time."

Adding to Vaughan's concern about Kerrigan's selection is his poor form for county side Lancashire, who currently sit second from bottom in Division One.

Kerrigan has taken 28 wickets in 12 matches so far this season at an average of 35.57, form that Vaughan believes doesn't warrant a Test recall.

"At least pick him when he's in form. He's hardly bowled," the former skipper added.

"I would have sent him back to county cricket and told him: 'Our little goal to you at this stage of your career is to keep Lancashire in the first division'.

"That's pressure in itself. Throwing him out to bowl at Lord's potentially, against an Indian batting line-up that plays spin with its eyes shut, is unfair."

England's pace-heavy attack struggled in the first Test on a Trent Bridge surface that was so slow curator Steve Birks issued a public apology.

While the pitch at Lord's is expected to offer a little more for the seamers, England's spin-bowling dilemma in the post Graeme Swann era shows no signs of abating.

Monty Panesar remains out of favour due to disciplinary reasons, while the likes of Scott Borthwick, Gareth Batty and James Tredwell haven't done enough at county level to force their way into the Test squad.

Leg-spinner Borthwick, who made his Test debut against Australia at the SCG in January, has been working on his bowling with spin king Shane Warne.

It all means that the hosts will have to either put their faith in Kerrigan for the second Test, or again rely on the part-time spin of Ali and Joe Root.