Steve Waugh undergoes
ankle surgery

Australian captain Steve Waugh underwent minor surgery on his ankle on Friday.

Waugh went under the surgeon's knife in a Sydney hospital to repair a problem with his left ankle that had been troubling him in recent months.

He said, in a statement released by the Australian Cricket Board, that the operation had been a success, and that he would be fit enough to lead his country in Pakistan in August if the tour goes ahead.

"The experts have told me that I will have fully recovered from the minor surgery in six weeks, which gives me plenty of time to prepare for the tour of Pakistan," Waugh said.

"While nobody likes having surgery, it's in my best long-term interests to get the problem fixed now, so I can use my time off to fully recover."

Mail Cricket Editor