Waugh bats on without fuss

BRISBANE, March 15 AAP - Steve Waugh has ignored the chance to leave international cricket on the perfect wave.

Instead the Australian captain wants to stay in the firing line, today making himself available to tour the Caribbean next month for a Test series that will challenge the 37-year-old.

Waugh had apparently chewed over his future for the last 10 weeks since unleashing a memorable and overdue century against England in the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG.

It was touted as the ideal way to end an outstanding career and Waugh said then he would consider his future.

He has since ducked and dismissed questions, and the likes of twin Mark and chairman of selector Trevor Hohns had apparently been kept in the dark, making any announcement one of the most anticipated in Australian cricket.

So it was with a typical lack of fuss that Waugh today announced he wanted to be considered when Australian selectors chose the 15-man Caribbean squad tomorrow night.

Waugh had finished lunch during the second day of the Pura Cup final between NSW and Queensland when he spoke to Queensland Cricket media manager Stephen Gray.

"I'm available, I've spoken to Cracker (Hohns), you can tell everybody," Waugh told Gray.

That was it.

The announcement had been made and Waugh walked back on to the Gabba to get on with business in the Pura Cup final.

How he gets on with business in the Caribbean next month will be the next issue.

Waugh's form for NSW since making the Ashes ton has been excellent, but it won't mean much when he steps out for his record-breaking 157th Test against a resurgent West Indian team on April 10.

Waugh would probably have been overlooked if not for his Sydney century because time was appearing to catch up with the man who had been Australia's batting rock in troubled times.

The Indian tour next year - Waugh's holy grail - remains on his agenda but he may not get past the Caribbean if he doesn't fire.

He knows the conditions well, scoring more Test runs in the Windies than any other Australian batsman, and with an average of 66.92.

This won't be an easy tour, especially as Waugh will have to fit back into an Australian squad that has been almost flawless at the World Cup.

But that seems a small hill compared to some of the cricket mountains he has climbed.

Selectors must now pencil him into the squad tomorrow night, but Waugh has made the decision for them with today's announcement.