Cricket: Warne has to wait

SHANE WARNE, who has been struggling to regain fitness following a shoulder operation, may miss the first three Ashes Tests against England in a move to safeguard his career.

The Australian leg-spinner, who has been a key figure in his country's success in recent years, had hinted that he might be fit in time to play in the First Test in Brisbane in two weeks' time.

However, Allan Border, the former Australian captain who is now a selector, said yesterday that the selectors wanted to ensure Warne's international career could carry on for five to seven years.

"Even given an incident-free comeback to first-class cricket and a spotless report from the specialists, the best-case scenario is for Warne to return for the third Test," Border said.