Cricket: Taylor to lead Australia in Caribbean

MARK TAYLOR yesterday vowed to extend one of the most successful stints by an Australian cricket captain on next year's tour to the West Indies. Taylor, 34, had previously only committed himself to the current Ashes series against England.

But while preparing for the fourth Test against England, he said he wanted to settle one personal challenge in an extraordinary career.

Taylor is determined to rectify a poor batting record against the West Indian pace battery of Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh and Ian Bishop. Taylor, whose Test average is around 44, has a batting average of 28.11 against the West Indies in 20 Tests - his lowest against all of the Test- playing countries.

Australia tour the Caribbean for a four-Test series starting next March and Taylor said: "I'm fairly sure I'll go to the West Indies if the selectors pick me. I'm still enjoying playing and the side is playing well with me as captain so provided those two things are maintained I will keep playing."

Meanwhile, the former Australian Test player Dean Jones has said he will name an international cricketer who he claims helped organise an approach by illegal bookmakers on the 1992 tour of Sri Lanka. Jones will tell a new Australian Cricket Board inquiry into betting in the game the name of the player who was with him when a bookmaker offered pounds 25,000 for information about team changes and pitch conditions. The cricketer is neither Sri Lankan or Australian, Jones said. He would not comment on whether it was Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar, about whom allegations have been made but who has consistently denied links with cricket's betting underworld.