BIRMINGHAM.

June 5(AP): Mark Taylor refused to feel guilty of holding up someone else s Test place and said there was

more lo captaining than Just opening the batting for Australia.

Taylor. 32. refused to bow down and lashed out at continuing criticism surrounding his uncertain Test future on the eve of the first Ashes Test against England at Edgbaston.

I ve tried to look at everything objectively Including myself and the Australian cricket team and the good thing for me is that we've been winning." said Taylor.

"If we hadn't been winning over the last six months I donYt think I'd be here. That would be fact.

"The team would have fallen apart, my form would have been

one of the main problems and then I would have been out.

"But things have been going quite nicely. I've always been a team person and look at results." added Taylor, justifying his decision to play on Thursday.

Taylor, one of the most successful captains of the modem era and the first Australian captain to win back-to-back Test series against the West Indies. has been repeatedly asked to quit — but not by his teammates. coach Geoff Marsh or the Australian selectors.

Australia's leading wickettaker Dennis Ullee. as well as the Chappell brothers Ian and Greg — both former Australian captains — called for Taylor to step down.

Greg Chappell said I'm not mentally fit to captain Australia. I don't believe that," said Taylor.

"If I ever got to the stage where I was mentally unfit I think I d know it and Tm sure someone would grab me and tell me.

1 don't think Greg Chappell is the right man to & that/he added.

Taylor said he was appointed captain of the Auatralian cricket team and that he owes It to his country to perform.

"As I've always said all through it. I'm Just over here trying to do a Job." he said.

"I am a team person. The team support has been outstanding Everyone knows it hasn’t been an easy time for me."

Michael Slater and Ricky Ponting are two of the younger squad members recalled for the Ashes tour, but haven't yet had a game before the first Test to prove themselves.

The way the programme worked out we haven't had the chance to try out every person,” Taylor pointed out.

"RicKy Ponting and Michael Slater haven't had their chances. That's not my fault It may keep them out of the team, but they want me to do well.

"I don't look at it (Taylor's batting spot) as a one place. I look at the whole team strategy.

"A person can score more runs than me in a given situation. There is definitely more in captaining than Just opening the batting."

Taylor burst on to international cricket in the 1989 Ashes series when he scored 839 runs at 83.90, the third highest ag-^te ever. He has since scored

I runs (avge 44.58) in 22 Ashes Tests with five centuries.

Taylor was quick to react when asked whether he felt nervous.

"1 am always nervous before the first day of any Test series," he said.

"It's nice to get off to a good start. A hundred in one of the innings will be an ideal start to put everything behind.

I want to find the balance I did the other day," he added, referring to the 63 he made in Australia's one-wicket loss to Derbyshire. "If I can find it. I can't see why I can't make a hundred.

The difference between scoring one and a hundred is that little bit of edge that I haven't had in my game in the last 4-6 months," Taylor concluded.