Waugh says new injury is no major problem

BRISBANE - Injury caught up with Steve Waugh again today but the Australian captain was confident his latest problem would not keep him out more than a few days.

Waugh was a last-minute withdrawal from today's day-night tri series clash with the West Indies when he strained a groin muscle during the warm-up session, enabling his deputy Adam Gilchrist to become Australia's 15th one-day international captain.

But Gilchrist won't have the reins for more than one match if Waugh can recover for Wednesday's stoush with the Windies in Sydney.

"I've got a bit of a niggle in my groin. I felt it warming up and decided to miss the game," Waugh said.

"I hope it's more a precaution than anything else. We are hoping to rotate batsmen and bowlers during the Carlton series so this can be my turn."

It's the second time Waugh has missed cricket this summer after a buttock muscle injury forced him out of the third Test against the Windies in Adelaide last month.

Gilchrist led Australia to victory in his absence while Waugh insisted he was not becoming injury-prone as his age creeps up.

The 35-year-old has said he wants to play until the 2003 World Cup and his latest form has been flawless.

Waugh scored centuries in the final Tests in Melbourne and Sydney, pushing him into fifth place on the list of the greatest runscorers in Tests with 8722 runs.

He became the first Australian to play 300 one-day matches when he led his team to victory over the Windies in Melbourne last Thursday.

Gilchrist has become just the 10th player to lead Australia in Test and one-day matches to continue his remarkable run of success in the past two seasons.

The new captain had immediate success, taking a sharp one-handed catch from Windies opener Sherwin Campbell after just five deliveries today.