Battered England Must Beware Wounded Waugh

England left the battlefield in Perth yesterday and flew straight into the Waugh zone.

They are a one-day outfit now (some would say they have not been much beyond that for the past month) but any notion - among Test-squad residue or newcomers - of a respite before the Ashes series is rounded off during the festive season would have been dispelled by a glance in the Sydney papers.

Steve Waugh is a powerful enough figure in his sport in any case but in this part of Australia he is a treasure. Offend him - as the Australian selectors have done by telling the World Cup-winning captain that he is not among their top 30 one-day cricketers - and you offend the entire populace of New South Wales.

It may, of course, be a motivational ploy. Waugh is not by nature one of those who has to be forced to go the extra yard. But give him reason and he becomes what Americans would call "ornery".

Thus his announcement, just as his side were beginning their celebrations in Perth, that he would launch his quest for a World Cup place by playing for his state against the tourists tomorrow sent a clear message: this is personal.

These next weeks, in which England play three warm-up one-day games and the first four matches of the triangular series with Australia and Sri Lanka, will test the resolve of Nasser Hussain's depleted party as much as did the Tests.

Although the Australians have a mighty strong squad for their first two games (the entire Test team, without Waugh and Justin Langer but including Michael Bevan, the best finishing batsman in the business), there will be no let-up for England in the opening matches against New South Wales, Australia A or even the Prime Minister's side.

It is a strange game where England might be looking to Sanath Jayasuriya for a little light relief.

This is important for England, though. Only an extreme optimist would predict that this ragbag of bits-and-pieces players faces anything other than tough times. However, it is during the next month that the selectors must finalise the 15 who will go on to South Africa for the World Cup in February and March.

As it stands, far from having a settled squad gaining experience as a unit - as in theory they should have been doing since the start of last winter's tours - injuries, loss of form and procrastination have left major issues to be decided. Much of this involves the bowling attack.

The loss of Darren Gough is immense. So, although much will be learned about the capacity of the likes of Ronnie Irani, Paul Collingwood and Andy Flintoff (should he ever be fit) to hold their own with the ball on these batting pitches, it is Steve Harmison who has most to gain.

If he does well - and he proved less easy to collar than most England bowlers - then he can look forward to a great experience in South Africa. If not, goodness knows where the selectors can turn.

Harmison and the rest of the team will be tested to the full, however, beginning under lights at the Sydney Cricket Ground tomorrow.

New South Wales are as strong as ever, with four players - Steve Waugh, his twin brother Mark (who says, ho hum, he is getting bored just playing state cricket, so watch out), Bevan and Glenn McGrath - boasting almost 1,000 one-day international caps between them.

Then there is Brett Lee, whose parting shots in Perth left Alex Tudor with another head growing from his left eyebrow; Corey Richards, a batsman who with Greg Blewett tore England to shreds for the A team in Hobart four years ago; the new wunderkind Michael Clarke, who is looking to impress again; and Stuart MacGill, who has been told by the Australian selectors that he is too much of a wicket-taker and not tight enough to feature in their World Cup plans.

Together they offer enough of an agenda for a party conference.