Rusty Warne back on show

Shane Warne hadn't bowled for six months until he went to training on Saturday and his greatest fear on his return to the Australian Twenty20 scene is embarrassing himself. Warne will join up with his old team-mates Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden when they appear in an Australian Cricketers' Association XI captained by Warne at the Gabba on Sunday.

"For us it's about not embarrassing ourselves, not bowling too many double-bouncers and full-bungers," he said. Warne, 40, spent part of Saturday afternoon "trying to land a few" at the Gabba nets under the eye of Dennis Lillee, the guest coach.

The pair stopped briefly to outline their plans for the match against an Australian XI led by Michael Clarke. And it was just long enough for Warne to doubt the West Indies' credentials for the three-match series against Australia, which starts on Thursday, and Lillee to defend the future of Test cricket.

While Greg Chappell, the guest coach of the Australian XI, fears for the five-day game, Lillee is confident it will remain strong. "Something that has lasted for nearly 150 years, I don't think it's in danger in the short term," Lillee said.

Warne believes the West Indians face too much of a challenge to upset Australia, despite the hosts' current ranking as the world's No. 4 team. "Let's just hope the West Indies surprise us, at the moment their form is pretty ordinary and they need to hopefully lift," he said. "Otherwise it's just going to be a summer of enjoying our blokes bat and bowl."

Australian Cricketers' Association XI Shane Warne (capt), Travis Birt, Lee Carseldine, Adam Gilchrist, Daniel Harris, Matthew Hayden, Jason Krejza, Rhett Lockyear, Graham Manou (wk), Glenn McGrath, Nathan Reardon, Nathan Rimmington.

Australian XI Michael Clarke (capt), Cameron White, George Bailey, Brad Haddin (wk), David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Clint McKay, Peter Siddle, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner.