New Delhi: In 2003, the England rugby team had to win the World Cup to earn their Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs), but such has been the dominance of Australian cricket that beating it alone has been recognized as an equally worthy achievement.
Vaughan becomes an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for England's first Ashes win since 1987 while the rest of the side have become MBEs.
Apart from Vaughan, Coach Duncan Fletcher and Chairman of selectors David Graveney have all been awarded OBEs.
"It was a great team effort and I'm really pleased all the players have been honoured," Vaughan said.
Clare Connor, the captain of England's Ashes-winning women's team and Phil Neale, the England team's operations manager, were also appointed as OBEs.
Marcus Trescothick, who led England in the one-day series in Pakistan in the absence of the injured Vaughan, said, "It's not something you expect to happen to you just for playing cricket."
Graveney, who has held his current post since 1997, said, "I thought the players quite rightly would be honoured in some way, but for me to also be honoured is amazing."
"To be appointed an MBE by your country is a great honour and I think it shows just how much winning the Ashes meant to everybody," he added.
The recognition also got him reminiscing about how the thing runs in the family. "We now have three things in common," he said, referring to Tom Graveney, his uncle and former England batsman.
"We are both called Graveney, both have an OBE and were both sacked as Gloucestershire captain. When the letter arrived, I thought it was from the Inland Revenue," he said.
The recognition becomes all the more significant as the last England team to win the Ashes, David Gower's 1985 side, did not receive such acclaim from the honours committees within such a short time after winning the ashes.
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