Play your game: Vaughan tells Pietersen

London: Unlike most of his countrymen, Michael Vaughan does not nitpick about Kevin Pietersen's bizarre 'brain-snap' dismissal in the first Ashes Test and the former England captain rather encouraged the maverick batsman to play his characteristic attacking game.

Vaughan, England's 2005 Ashes winning captain, said Pietersen is an attacking player and he should carry on with his aggressive brand of cricket.

"What we expect from Kevin is for him to play to his maximum ability. He got out playing a shot he'd played before and knocked for one," Vaughan told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Pietersen reached out for a bizarre sweep shot off a Nathan Hauritz delivery way outside the off-stump and the ball brushed his helmet before finding the fielder, resulting in

what has been termed 'brain-snap' dismissal by the enraged British media.

Vaughan downplayed the dismissal and said he would have been happier to see Pietersen going hammer and tong after Hauritz.

"What I'd have liked to see was Kevin taking on Hauritz down the ground a few more times and hitting him for six. I've seen him do it to Shane Warne and to Murali, so I'd like him to attack a little bit more," he said.

"As captain I always felt if Kevin could bat for three hours he could take the game away from the opposition. I want to see him continue in a positive vein because that's the kind of player he is," Vaughan said.

The first Ashes Test in Cardiff was full of drama as England's last pair of James Anderson and Monty Panesar batted out the most tense 40 minutes of their cricketing careers to salvage a draw.

A furious Australia captain Ricky Ponting found it difficult to digest and accused England of indulging in delaying tactics by twice sending in their physio and 12th man during those 40 minutes.

Vaughan was amused by Ponting's allegations and felt it added more spice to the series.

"It added more spice to the Ashes contest. 12th man do come in, your hands do get sweat. But I think slightly, the Physio running on may have stepped over the line. It added a spice and created more atmosphere for the morning start at Lords on Thursday," he said.