UNDATED. Feb 1: Potential Australian Test captain Steve Waugh may be allowed to join Australia's

tour to the West Indies without proving his fitness in a match, chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said today, reports AFP.

Waugh's troublesome hamstring injury has been seen as a possible stumbling block to making the tour later this month and to his hopes of succeeding skipper Mark Taylor, who is widely expected to an-

nounce his international retirement Tuesday.'

Waugh, the national one-day captain. has played only two tri-series matches. He has been out of action since aggravating the injury in a loss to Sri Lanka in Hobart on January 21 and seems unlikely to return to action before the Caribbean tour.

If Waugh, the Test vice-captain. did not tour it would leave the path clear for spinner Shane Warne, who has filled in as the one-day captain during Waugh's absence, to take over the leadership.

The national selectors' usually want injured players to prove their fitness in a match before picking them for an important tour. But Hohns indicated an exception could be made for Waugh.

'That's up to our discretion." Hohns said. "We have the option of having them play a game or putting them through a fitness test. In some players,' ^ases, that's what we may have to do.'

Hohns declined to be draw on whether Waugh’s fitness could come into the captaincy calculations.

He said Waugh's injury would be assessed again later this week before the Australian squad is named for the tri-series final against England starting February 10.

Meanwhile. Victorian state coach John Scholes said that veteran paceman Paul Reiffel would be fit for the tour if the selectors opted to name him in the 15-man squad.

Reiffel's international future appeared doomed when he reinjured a groin during Victoria's Mercantile Mutual victory over Queensland on Saturday. That match marked his first appearance since suffering the same injury in Hobart five weeks ago.

The injury is not as bad as first thought. Scholes said today.

"During the course of the game his groin was a bit tight but he hasn't re-done (torn) it." Scholes said. "He has pulled up pretty well today."

Reiffel has not played a Test for Australia since the loss to India in Madras in March, after which he returned home with a shoulder injury.

He was not initially selected for the England tour in 1997 after being considered infury-prone by the national selectors.

That may also count against him for the busy two-month tour of the West Indies, including four Tests and seven one-day internationals.

But in Relffel's favour is his fine re. ord against the Wesl In-

dies, where he played a pivotal role in Australia's 1995 success in the Caribbean.

Scholes said Reiffel would not let the Australians down if chosen for the tour.

"I guess it's up to the Australian selectors but if he was selected he would be right to go by the time the team goes fin just over two weeks).-' he said.