Waugh's Ticket to Windies Assured

Steve Waugh only has to say yes.

If he wants to go to the West Indies next month - and the smoke signals indicate he does - then Australia's Test selectors surely have to say yes, too. Waugh need only phone Trevor Hohns before the weekend because he has made himself unsackable as captain.

He has peeled off four centuries already this year, none more precious than the Bradman-equalling epic against England at the SCG. That ton alone, completed in a last-ball-of-the-day fairytale, was enough to save his Test skin.

But while Ricky Ponting's one-day team has been battling for the World Cup, Waugh has clubbed a one-day hundred against Tasmania, a double century against Victoria and a match-turning 138 against Queensland that takes NSW into the Pura Cup final.

Waugh may yet surprise everyone by calling it quits. But his actions are hardly those of a contented veteran completing a few niceties before hanging up the boots. They are the deeds of a man who sees still more greatness before him.

He is a mere 83 runs shy of easing Sunil Gavaskar from second place on the list of Test cricket's greatest run-scorers. Waugh might even stick around for a while longer and get the 1135 needed to eclipse his first Test captain, Allan Border.

If his form is so good, his age (38 in June) shouldn't matter. Would he willingly make way for a younger man? Not likely, not even for 20-year-old NSW teammate Michael Clarke, whom he has dubbed "the next Doug Walters".

Meanwhile, fast bowler Jason Gillespie is on target to be fit for the tour of the West Indies, according to team physiotherapist Errol Alcott.

Australia are set to leave for the Caribbean on 31 March. Gillespie was ruled out of the World Cup with a heel injury which is expected to take four weeks to heal.

Alcott told reporters on Sunday: "Jason saw the Australian Cricket Board's doctor Trefor James on Friday and got the injury re-scanned.

"Trefor concurred with our original idea that it should take him four to six weeks to recover, perhaps a touch earlier.

"By the time we get to 31 March it will be five weeks since he did it... if he progresses as we think he should then he should come up trumps for the tour."

* From wire reports.