Former England captain Michael Vaughan is confident of forcing his way back into the national team in time for the winter tour to the Caribbean.
The 34-year-old, currently in India with England's performance programme, told BBC Test Match Special: "I want to push to get back into the England side.
"We have games in Bangalore and Mumbai so hopefully I'll get a few runs and push for a place on the Caribbean tour.
"I believe I've got a great opportunity of getting back in."
Vaughan resigned as captain on 3 August and, despite returning to county cricket with Yorkshire, failed to find any sort of form with the bat.
He received a central contract in September but was left out of the two-Test series in India and took a three-month sabbatical.
England play a four-Test series in the West Indies, beginning in Jamaica on 4 February, before a home series against either Sri Lanka or West Indies, followed by the Ashes against Australia in the summer of 2009.
We've got Australia next summer and I'd love to be able to play against them - I need to get my form right and I feel that with the state of mind I'm in I will do that
Michael Vaughan
"Over the last two or three months I've tried to clear my mind of all the issues I felt were disturbing my game and I feel in a great position to go out there, play cricket and enjoy the challenges which being an international player bring," said Vaughan.
"It won't be easy because there are some very good players in the team at the minute. My challenge is to put them under pressure and hopefully try and force my way back into the team come January.
"I've been away, I've played golf and it was about two weeks into my holiday that I thought, 'crikey I've got to get that bat back out'.
"So I went straight back home and the day after my holiday I went to Loughborough and started hitting cricket balls again.
"I've had five-and-a-half years as captain and I feel I contributed more as a leader than as a player.
"I want to get back to contributing as a good player who can hopefully score plenty of runs."
Vaughan has an excellent record against Australia, scoring 959 runs at 47.95, including four centuries, in the two Ashes series he has contested and guiding England to an historic victory on home soil in 2005.
"At the minute I've got a lot of energy and enjoyment to play again," he said. "I'm really excited about the next year or so.
"We've got Australia next summer and I'd love to be able to play against them.
"I need to get my form right and I feel that with the state of mind I'm in I will do that.
"If that diminishes or I get told by the selectors there's no chance I'll play for England again then I'll probably have to look at decisions over where I want to take my future.
"But the old adage is form is temporary, class is permanent and I completely believe in that."
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