AAP - Australia cricket captain Steve Waugh wants shorter Ashes tours and described some fixtures on this year's successful campaign as "a waste of time".

Waugh and several of his colleagues who were part of both the triumphant Test and one-day squads returned to Australia today after completing a gruelling three-month itinerary.

The Australians schedule included 21 matches, including six three- or four-dayers against county teams, some of which Waugh felt weren't needed by the tourists.

"Three months is just too long to be away I think and it can be unhealthy for everyone," Waugh said.

"You are in very close proximity to all the squad and it's a long time to be together and people obviously are missing their families.

"So I think in future some of the county games are not needed, they are a waste of time basically half of them. Probably only two or three were good matches."

Waugh today admitted there was a danger Australia could look past its next assignment against New Zealand as it awaits a showdown against South Africa, its closest challenger at the top of the ICC Test championship.

Australia holds a slender lead over South Africa on the points table and the two teams will play three Tests here in December and January before hosting the return series in February and March.

Waugh admitted his team would already be thinking about the South Africa matches during the three-Test home series against New Zealand in November and December.

"New Zealand are a good cricket side and they are one of these sides that are improving, so they will be hard to beat," Waugh said.

"But there's no doubt we will be looking towards South Africa and they will be looking at us. I think its a showdown for the number one Test side in the world, so there is a danger element there that you can look too far ahead.

"We've got to obviously make sure we play well against New Zealand, but at the same time, we will be starting to prepare mentally and probably writing things down about the South African players before we get to play them."

While Waugh praised bowling stalwarts Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for their efforts in England, he made a point of complimenting his batsmen. Five of them managed at least one Test century with four of them averaging over 50.

England never came close to bowling out Australia twice and only once did it dismiss Waugh's side for under 400.

"We probably surprised ourselves with the way we batted over there.

"I thought the batting was superb and our general cricket all round was pretty good.

"We were aggressive the whole time and positive and we played to win every day of the tour."

© 2001 AAP