MELBOURNE, Dec 24: Test captain Steve Waugh believes he still deserves a place in the Australia team and refuses to make any decision on his playing future until after the Ashes series finishes next month.

Australia’s chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said the panel had spoken to Waugh about his international playing future and told the 37-year-old captain he had their backing until the fifth Test against England in Sydney.

“I’ve never asked for a guarantee nor did I want a guarantee,” Waugh told a news conference on Tuesday.

“I’ve always played my cricket under the belief that you pick your best 11 players and that’s never changed. I think it’s wrong to give players guarantees.

“If I’m not one of the 11 then that’s fair enough ... I know I am one of the best 11 players.”

Waugh captained Australia to victory in the 1999 World Cup final but lost his place in the one-day side in March this year.

He grew tired on Tuesday of constant questions on his playing future at Test level.

“The next two Test matches are about the Australian side playing an Ashes series,” Waugh said.

“So I’d like to think that the focus would be on the cricket rather than speculation about myself.

“I’ll make a decision after the Sydney Test match.”

Waugh said he had found it difficult to read Australian newspapers in the last six weeks as some mounted a campaign for him and some were against him playing on next year.

“A lot of people writing stuff don’t know what’s going on,” Waugh said.

“One lot of newspapers are for me, the other newspapers are against me, that’s just the way it is.”

Waugh is Australia’s most successful Test captain with 32 wins from 43 matches in charge.

The former promising junior soccer player from western Sydney will equal Allan Border’s world record of 156 Test appearances when he plays in the fifth Test in Sydney.

Waugh has expressed a desire to play on the West Indies Test tour next year.

Waugh has averaged under 28.00 in 15 matches since the 2001 Ashes tour to England.

“Take my last 16 Tests I’ve probably averaged 40. Take my last four Tests I’ve averaged 50 so whatever way you want to write your story,” added Waugh, whose average has slipped below the celebrated half-century to 49.44.

Waugh said some of England’s senior players were under more pressure than himself to perform well in the remaining two Tests.

“There hasn’t been a lot of their top players performing and they need to perform in their last two Test matches to continue playing for their country and everyone wants to do that,” Waugh said.

“Personally it would be nice to just go out there and score some runs and try and relax and enjoy the occasion,” he said.—Reuters