SYDNEY (Reuters)
Former Australian captain Allan Border has admitted feeling "physically ill" when he decided to support Steve Waugh's sacking as Australia's one-day captain and as a player in the side. Border joined a unanimous vote among the national selection panel to dump Waugh, 36, from next month's South African one-day series after 325 matches.

"I can remember putting the phone down and feeling physically ill about the decision we had come to as selectors," said Border, who played his 156th and final Test aged 38 in 1993-94. Just three years ago, Waugh led Australia from the brink of disaster to win the World Cup, thanks partly to his 120 not out in a must-win Super Six match against South Africa.

Waugh, the second-most-experienced player in limited-overs international history, suddenly finds himself sidelined after a disappointing series in Australia, where the home country failed by one bonus point to reach the finals of the triangular limited-overs series with New Zealand and South Africa earlier this month.

Former Australian captain Richie Benaud, one of the elder statesmen of world cricket, said on Wednesday Australia's decision to dump Waugh from the one-day side showed the nation would not tolerate even a small number of losses. Benaud warned Australia's next one-day captain to watch his back. "It was a great shock to me because I suppose it underlines the fact that you don't lose," Benaud said on Australian television. "As soon as you lose, then people are calling for your head.

"I simply can't understand the timing, and if it was done, as we've heard, just before the Allan Border Medal [on Monday night], that seems to me to be stupid."

Mark Taylor, who lost the one-day captaincy to Waugh in 1997-98 but retained the Test captaincy until his retirement in February 1999, said he felt Waugh had it coming. "I think the writing has been on the wall yes, just during this season," Taylor said on Australian TV. "Things certainly haven't gone his way. I think it will be very hard for him to force his way back into the side, mainly because he is 36-and-a-half now."

Former Australian batsman Dean Jones said Waugh would fight his way back over the next year. "I'll bet my house that he'll be in the World Cup. He's good enough to get back," Jones said. "He will not sulk or put his head between his legs. He'll come out fighting."

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