July 01, 2007	Sunday	Jamadi-us-Sani 15, 1428

SYDNEY, June 30: Former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh will address the Socceroos before their final Asian Cup warm-up game in Singapore on Saturday.

Waugh will spend three days with the Australian squad after accepting an offer from coach Graham Arnold and Football Federation Australia to mentor the team ahead of the July 7-29 tournament, Sydney's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported.

Waugh, who was a schoolboy representative footballer before becoming one of Test cricket's greats, will speak to the team's leadership and coaching staff and will be part of the inner sanctum for the match with Singapore, the report said.

The former Test skipper, who has also been co-opted by the Australian Olympic Committee as a team liaison member for next year's Beijing Olympics, will address a handful of players one-on-one and pass on his experiences of touring and dealing with pressures and expectation, the newspaper said.

Team officials believe Waugh can play a key role in preparing the squad mentally and helping them to stay focused for the Asian Cup.

The newspaper said Waugh will advise players and officials on how to handle Southeast Asia's oppressive conditions and how to deal with growing expectations and media interest.

Waugh earned a reputation for encouraging his cricket team to engage with and enjoy the countries they played in, particularly on the subcontinent.

He is expected to address a leadership group believed to include English Premier League stars Mark Viduka, Lucas Neill, Harry Kewell and Mark Schwarzer and to speak with others who have taken on leadership roles since last year's World Cup in Germany.The Socceroos embark on their first Asian Cup campaign against Oman in Bangkok on July 8.—AFP