Symonds aims for South Africa game

Andrew Symonds wants to play at least the second half of the World Cup after being named in the squad on Tuesday, but John Buchanan is concerned the allrounder will re-injure his arm by rushing back. Symonds had surgery almost two weeks ago on a torn bicep and is not worried about snapping the tendon again because he "knows he'll be okay".

Symonds, who can be replaced if he doesn't recover in time, believes a comeback against South Africa on March 24 is possible, but Buchanan thinks it is too soon. "My personal view is he might be ready for round three of the Super Eights, which is a week after the South Africa game," Buchanan said in the Courier-Mail. Buchanan said he did not want Symonds to jeopardise the next four years of his career by returning too quickly.

"The World Cup is a big deal to me," Symonds told the paper. "It's not the end of the world if I snap it again, it can heal and be okay. So I'm not too worried about it if it goes again because I know I'll be okay. If it goes, it goes."

Symonds has been told to think long-term but said he tended to think about one thing at a time. "I will play hopefully half of the World Cup," he said, "if not more."

Australia's current plan is for Symonds to start batting in four weeks and then add throwing and bowling to his program. Symonds suffered the injury in Australia's CB Series group loss to England and his absence in the finals severely affected the team's balance. The side's first game of the World Cup is against Scotland on March 14.

It is likely Cameron White, who was devestated to miss the squad, would replace Symonds if he failed to regain fitness for the tournament. "If there came a time towards the end of March where Andrew wasn't progressing as we would hope then we might need to look at naming a specific player and making sure they continue to train," Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said in the Sydney Morning Herald. Hilditch's 15-man squad included Shaun Tait and Brad Haddin, but Stuart Clark, the New South Wales fast bowler, was not included.