PERTH (AFP)
Australian Test vice-captain Adam Gilchrist has said that he is prepared to drop down the batting order to get a shot at captaining the national one-day side. Wicketkeeper-opening batsman Gilchrist is considered by many to be the most likely candidate for the leadership of the Australian limited-overs team following the sacking of Steve Waugh.

Gilchrist said he would give up his high-order spot to move into the job. "It's hard work wherever you bat, bowl or keep," he said before leaving for the tour of South Africa. "But certainly it is a lot to juggle," he said. "If the opportunity came along, you would have to look at the situation. You would have to think about what would have to give, if anything had to give.

"I'm not so blind that I'm going to say that I couldn't slide down the list."

He said he understood the enormity of the prized role from playing under Waugh. "It is a hard job, a top job and I've seen at close range what Steve has had to go through as captain of the one-day cricket team," he said.

Gilchrist was far from convinced that he will be asked to take over at the helm. "There are many good candidates and we all know who they are," he said referring to such players as Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne. "I don't think just because I'm vice-captain I'm an automatic selection," said Gilchrist.

The new one-day captain for the 10 one-day matches in South Africa and Zimbabwe starting this month will be announced next week. But Gilchrist, born in New South Wales, has the advantage of a particularly wholesome image and has recently captained the national team.

Meanwhile, Australian opener Justin Langer came out swinging for his deposed captain, saying he expected Waugh to bounce back with a "massive Test series" in South Africa. The 36-year-old Waugh could play for as long as he still had hunger for the sport and his body held up, Langer said.

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