Buchanan wary over Symonds return

Andrew Symonds faces a "make-or-break" week as he pushes to be fit for Australia's third group game against South Africa on March 24, according to the coach John Buchanan. Symonds is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation from arm surgery - the physiotherapist Alex Kountouris even said he was an outside chance for the second match - but Buchanan said it was "hard to know" when the allrounder would return.

"It could be a make-or-break week with the injury he's got," Buchanan told AAP. "He's desperately trying to get out and do his work and be involved and obviously the team would like him to come through too. But right at the moment we've got 14 fit players and if Andrew comes right then we've got 15 and we've got a great asset there."

However, Buchanan was concerned Symonds' extra workload could increase his risk of re-injuring the problem biceps. "Hopefully what he does next week just continues that road to getting him back on the field," Buchanan said. Despite Australia's improved performance in the five-wicket win over England, Symonds remains a crucial element as he offers versatile bowling as well as powerful batting and sharp fielding.

Buchanan was confident Matthew Hayden, who has a broken toe, would fulfil his wish to play in the opening group game against Scotland on Wednesday. "I know he has set himself for Scotland so I think it would be unlikely that he wouldn't be available anyway," Buchanan said.

The team is due in St Kitts on Monday after the opening ceremony in Jamaica and Buchanan said the side would be "hard to beat" when the tournament begins. "I don't really buy into whether we are the best team in the world or the second-best team in the world or the team to beat," Buchanan said. "We are going to be very hard to beat if we, one, get our strategy right and then, two, deliver that because we have got the playing potential and ability and skills to really execute our one-day game."