Waugh can't wait to play South Africa

Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh says they are keenly awaiting the start of the home tour against South African next month.

"We can't wait any more for you guys," an excited Waugh told the Afrikaans daily Beeld. The first Test gets under way at Adelaide, Australia, on December 14.

"We know that a tough battle lies ahead, which is exactly what you can expect because it is Test cricket. On top of that, we are playing against our foremost opponents in a battle for the top position in the ICC's Test championships series," Waugh said.

South Africa leaves for Australia Saturday after a two-month season at home in which they won a controversial three-match Test and a triangular series featuring India and Kenya.

Waugh refused to comment on controversial issues in the composition of the South African squad, such as the exclusion of Daryll Cullinan and former South African captain and Australian player Kepler Wessels as an adviser to the South African cricket management.

"I really don't want to comment on the inclusion or exclusion of any players. It's probably enough to say that over the past few years, South Africa has established itself as a very formidable combination," he said.

Waugh said South Africa had proved this in its tour to the West Indies earlier this year, when the visitors convincingly beat the home side in a one-day international and a Test series.

"Besides us, South Africa became only the second team in the past three decades to have won there," Waugh said.

But Waugh did have something to say about pace bowler Allan Donald, though. He said he was looking forward to facing Donald again for the first time in two years.

"Donald has been injured and sick for a long time, but I know that he will be determined to attack Australia again with determination. It will help to play the kind of cricket that I really enjoy -- tough, competitive and against the best players in the world."

Despite repeated illness and injury, which has kept him out of the national side for months now, Donald has been included in the side to tour Australia. He had earlier said he wanted to end his career with a battle of wits against the Australians and the 2003 Cricket World Cup, to be hosted by South Africa.

Meanwhile, the United Cricket Board of South Africa (UCBSA) has turned down a second request to include Wessels in the team management going to Australia.

On Sunday the executive of the UCBSA declined a request from the South African team management that Wessels be included as an adviser because he had the experience, having played for Australia in the 70's before returning to captain South Africa.

South African captain Shaun Pollock made a further plea for Wessels' inclusion on Tuesday, but it was again turned down. The UCBSA would not give reasons for the decision, which Pollock said he was not happy with. The cricket body had earlier said financial constraints might make the inclusion of an additional team member difficult.

The Mike Denness controversy

--Indo-Asian News Service

Mail Cricket Editor