Steve Harmison fears England could rue the decision to strip Andrew Flintoff of the vice-captaincy if Michael Vaughan picks up an injury at the World Cup.

Vaughan has hardly played any cricket over the last 18 months as he battled a major knee injury and a recent hamstring problem.

Only yesterday he gave the England medical team another scare after tripping over a man-hole cover and was forced to miss training.

Flintoff lost the vice-captaincy as punishment for a late-night drinking session following England's opening World Cup defeat to New Zealand.

Harmison said: "I just hope Michael Vaughan doesn't get injured because it will be a big ask for somebody who hasn't captained the team too many times.

"You would be bringing Andrew Strauss into the team and to ask him to captain after not playing for a while would be tough.

"Paul Collingwood would do a good job, and I know he would jump at the chance, but I would hate to see his game suffer and I wouldn't like to see him do a job that puts more pressure on him than his role in the side.

"But that is what the management team get paid for. They have decided Andrew Flintoff will not captain the team in the foreseeable future.

"Let's hope Vaughan stays on that field for as long as possible."

Harmison, who has been in touch with Flintoff by text message this week, insists the Lancashire all-rounder will emerge a better player for the experience.

And Harmison believes the whole controversy could help propel England to victory at the World Cup.

"It will make them stronger as a team because this whole episode will make Andrew stronger," said Harmison.

"I think they have got an even better chance now of winning the World Cup because that squad will be galvanised by what has happened.

"All they need is a bit of luck now. We proved in the one-day series in Australia that we get better as we go along. Let's hope that continues."

Harmison was speaking at the launch of the tour diary - Ashes Frontline - he wrote with Australia opener Justin Langer.

The book documents a tortuous time Down Under during the winter as England lost the Test series 5-0 and Harmison struggled from the moment his first delivery flew straight to Flintoff at second slip.

In an age of sports psychology and motivational coaches, Harmison found the best medicine being at home with the family and escaping cricket for a while.

"It is a big bad world and you have to stand on your own two feet," he said.

"You have to work it out for yourself. It makes you a better person and a better sportsman.

"It is not the first bad time in my career or the first brick wall in front of me. I have had a lot of things thrown at me in 10 years and I have come back stronger so far."

If England do go on to win the World Cup, Harmison admitted he will feel a tinge of regret at having retired from the one--day game during the winter.

But he has no thoughts of reversing that decision.

"If they win the World Cup then fantastic and I will be jumping through hoops for them. But I have had my time," he added.

"I retired for the good of playing Test cricket for England because I felt my form was slipping.

"If I get it back - which I have 100% confidence I will do - then I will still not play one-day cricket because it means I have done the right thing.

"I am fully confident I will be back here at Lord's for the first Test of the summer wearing the England shirt again."

All profits Harmison earns from Ashes Frontline will go to the Bubble Foundation, a charity which supports children suffering from the rare immune disorder Ipex Syndrome.