Australia's Taylor still mulling retirement, says Agent

Taylor's manager, John Fordham, issued a statement saying there would be no announcement Friday on Taylor's decision -- as speculated by some -- and the Test captain was still examining his options.

``Mark is still reviewing his position and will continue to do so over the next few days,'' Fordham said.

Taylor is considering whether to make himself available for Australia's upcoming tour of the West Indies.

He has said he planned to lead the Test side on the tour but this week has said his recent layoff made him realise he would like to spend more time with his wife and two young sons.

The continuing absence of a decision from Taylor prompted Australian cricket pundits to begin calling impatiently for him to make up his mind.

``If Mark Taylor is having so much trouble deciding whether to continue as Test captain and batsman, then he must make the sad and difficult choice to retire,'' The Sydney Morning Herald's Malcom Conn wrote in a column.

The problem for pundits is that Taylor is coming off arguably the best year of his career, having equalled Don Bradman's Test record score of 334 not out in Peshawar and been named Australian of the Year.

But they argued Thursday that if he had lost the passion needed to lead a Test side he would only be hurting the team he led through 50 Tests, ammassing an impressive record and earning a reputation as one of the best captains ever to lead Australia.

``No-one will know better than 34-year-old Taylor that he will be doing a disservice to himself and his country by making the trip if his heart is not in the mission,'' Conn wrote.

Under the headline ``Face it, Tubby, the time's right'', Martin Blake wrote in The Australian that everything appeared set for Taylor to exit the game.

``He has said many times before that when the fire flickers, then he will know it is time. His body language in recent days suggests that now is the time,'' Blake wrote.

One-day captain Steve Waugh and bowler Shane Warne are considered the likely candidates to replace Taylor if he resigns.