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Waugh
only has "tiny" chance of playing in final Oval Test
London,
August 10: Australian
captain Steve Waugh admitted here on Friday he has only a
"tiny" chance of being fit for The Oval Test starting in
just under a fortnight. Waugh damaged his left calf in the victory
at Trent Bridge, and is definitely out of the fourth match of the
series at Headingley, with Adam Gilchrist taking over the captaincy.
Waugh said: "My priority is to get right again I don't really
have a time frame on that. "I'm in the best hands in the
business in Errol Allcot (Australian phsyiotherapist) and by being
here I'm ensuring I get intensive treatment including pool and bike
work.
"I have to be cautious about my chances of returning for The
Oval, while at the same time retaining an optimistic outlook.
"When I did the injury I gave myself no chance of being back
for The Oval and while I've improved since then, I'd still have to
give to give myself only a tiny chance of being right in time."
Waugh has called for the coveted Ashes urn to make the return
journey with Australia, but MCC reiterated Friday that cricket's
most famous trophy stays in the Lord's museum.
MCC spokesman Iain Wilton said: "Our opinion is identical to
the one expressed by Tim Lamb, of the ECB last weekend.
"He made the point firstly that the Ashes are the property of
the MCC, so it's ultimately for the MCC committee to decide when and
where they travel.
"Secondly, Tim says and we would agree that The Ashes urn is a
very fragile trophy and it's utterly irreplaceable so it's something
we have to look after very carefully and any journey undertaken by
the urn has to be carefully arranged.
"The safety of the urn is of paramount importance to us."
A crystal trophy was commissioned around three years ago and
presented to Australia at the end of the last Ashes series Down
Under in 1998-99 - and it was agreed that the trophy would be kept
in the possession of the winning side.
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