MacGill a must for Gabba - Waugh

Steve Waugh believes Stuart MacGill has a brilliant case for selection in the first Test against West Indies even though the venue is the Gabba. A two-pronged legspin attack has been limited to Sydney and Sri Lanka over the past two years but Waugh told the Daily Telegraph the men were "at the peak of their bowling powers".

"Stuart MacGill has put up a case that you almost can't knock back," Waugh said. "He is bowling exceptionally well. I haven't seen him bowl any better than he is now and it's the same with Shane Warne. Two great bowlers, Brisbane turns, I can't see them both not playing."

Waugh, who launched his autobiography Out of My Comfort Zone yesterday, also said Shane Watson, who has played two Tests, deserved a chance for an extended run as Australia's third fast bowler. "It is the perfect environment with some great players around him," he said. "That is exactly the time to bring a guy in to feel his way and get a sense of what is required."

This season is the second since Waugh retired from the first-class arena and he said it was too soon to work with the national team. "I spent so much time with those guys that I think I'd be biased if I was involved too closely," AFP reported. "But down the track I'm really interested in developing some of the other countries like Kenya, and Bangladesh, or Zimbabwe. If you don't do that then the game is going to struggle, so I think we need the resources in that area."

Waugh said people would "get bored" if the focus remained only on the top nations. "You've got to make sure that countries like Zimbabwe, who are really struggling, and who aren't Test standard at the moment, you've got to help those guys get back on track," he said. "Bangladesh have got to keep developing and I think some of the African countries have got a lot of talent."