Former England captain Michael Vaughan believes a carefully-managed Adil Rashid could prove to be a key weapon in the upcoming Ashes series.

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Moeen Ali is favourite to be named as the team’s spinner for the first Test, but Vaughan insists Rashid’s leg-spin may help mop up Australia’s tail and demands that he makes his Test debut.

One criticism of the 27-year-old from Yorkshire is that he bowls too slowly and while Vaughan accepts that misgiving, he believes he offers something that England are currently missing.

“He needs managing, captaining and bowling at the right time. I would say first innings on good pitches you’d have to manage him very well,” Vaughan said.

“A top order player with anything worth their weight in gold would have a little bit of a look at him and probably attack him.

“That’s when the captain has to come in and say ‘right, it’s not quite working, let’s save him for that tail’. The second innings when it’s a bit crustier he comes into his own.

“With the way that he bowls and the way England have really struggled to get rid of tails… it’s something different that England might surprise Australia with.

“I wouldn’t expect him to whip through the top order in the first innings, but with careful management and careful field settings he certainly can play a big part.”