WaughSYDNEY, (Reuters):
STEVE WAUGH has defended his players' behaviour during their Test series in West Indies and strongly hinted he wants to continue as Australia's captain in the longer version of the game.
Waugh told reporters on his arrival home yesterday that while his players had stepped out of line on a couple of occasions, their conduct had generally been good and there was no animosity between the teams.
Australia won the four-match Test series 3-1.
"The heat of the moment got to a few players (but) from a playing point of view it was probably the friendliest series I've been involved with," Waugh said.
"On and off the field the guys had a lot of interaction, talked with each other a great deal and helped each other with cricket."
Waugh was told by Australian cricket boss James Sutherland to haul his players into line after a heated onfield row between fast bowler Glenn McGrath and West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan in the fourth and final Test.
McGrath later apologised for his actions and Waugh said he hoped people would not judge the tour on that one incident.
"I'm not making excuses for it but it does happen, that's the reality of the situation," Waugh said.
"We are going to make mistakes, there's a lot at stake and a lot of pressures."
The tour was another great personal success for Waugh who continues to defy critics who want him to retire.
In the first Test, he became the most-capped player of all time and his 115 in the third Test took him past Don Bradman as Australia's most prolific century maker with 30 Test hundreds.
He averaged more than 75 for the series and Australia's three wins put him equal with West Indian Clive Lloyd's long-standing record of 36 victories as the most successful Test captain in history.
With Australia's next scheduled series in Darwin and Cairns in July against Bangladesh, the world's weakest playing nation, Waugh seems certain to that eclipse that mark.
Bangladesh are also the only Test-playing nation Waugh has never played against and the 37-year-old said he was keen to play on.
"It would be great to play in Darwin and Cairns ... they are historic Test matches. They are definitely worth thinking about," he said.
