Steve Waugh wants to get back into ODI team

Australian Test captain Steve Waugh is determined to get back into the one-day team for next year's World Cup in South Africa.

Steve and his twin brother Mark's chances of playing in the tournament suffered a severe knock last week when they were left out of two international squads.

"I still have ambitions to play for Australia in one-day internationals," Steve Waugh told reporters in the eastern city of Calcutta, where he is involved in charity work.

"I want to give myself every opportunity to try to get back into the side."

The Waughs, now 37, were omitted from a 14-man squad to play a triangular limited-overs series against Pakistan in Kenya next month followed by the ICC Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka from September 12-29.

They also missed out on selection for an 'A' tour of South Africa involving seven one-dayers against South Africa 'A' from September 4.

But Steve Waugh said he was prepared to fight for his place.

"All I can do is to make sure that I am playing properly and ready for the first game of the season and play for New South Wales," Waugh said.

"The selectors have picked quite a lot of young guys for the 'A' side. They mentioned to me they know what Mark and I can do and want to have a look at some other players. That is not a negative thing."

LEADING SCORER

Steve has made 325 one-day appearances, 106 of them as captain, while Mark is Australia's leading scorer in limited overs internationals with 8,500 runs in 244 matches.

Steve captained Australia to victory in the 1999 World Cup, but was dropped from the squad for a limited overs series in South Africa earlier this year.

Waugh thinks Australia will be the favourites to defend the World Cup.

"At this stage, Australia will be way up there up there as one of the favourites. South Africa, being at home, will be very tough to beat. Pakistan seems a very in-form side and one of the favourites."

Pakistan beat Australia 2-1 in a one-day series last month.

"The World Cup is still a long way away and any one of half a dozen sides can win it, including India, which had a good result in England," Waugh said.

India chased a mammoth 326 earlier this month to beat England at Lord's in the final of a triangular tournament also involving Sri Lanka.

Mail Cricket Editor