AUSTRALIAN Test skipper Steve Waugh has been left out of his country's preliminary 30-man squad for the 2003 ICC World Cup in South Africa.

Players who have not been named can still be selected in the final 15 which must be submitted by December 31.

Chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns is confident that whatever the eventual make-up of the travelling party, it will be strong enough to retain the trophy Australia won at Lord's in 1999.

Hohns said: "This is really the first phase in selecting the squad to attend South Africa for the 2003 World Cup.

"There are a number of players we need to continue looking at over the coming month as we move to cut the squad by half.

"That will be a challenging task because there are several players that could fill a variety of positions for us at the World Cup.

"So far we have selected a healthy mix of players - batsmen, bowlers, all-rounders and three wicketkeepers, which gives us a broad range to choose from when finalising our list."

Waugh said: "I'm obviously disappointed to miss out on a place in the 30-man squad as, ever since I was originally left out of the one-day side, it's been a goal of mine to get back into it.

"Having said that I still believe there is a chance I can make it to the World Cup as players can come from outside that 30-man squad to make the final 15.

"Trevor Hohns spoke to me over the weekend to explain the decision and for now it's up to me to get over that disappointment and focus on what I can achieve in the immediate future, both for Australia and the New South Wales Blues.

"That starts this week with the one-day game against England in Sydney."

Steve Harmison and Robert Key, meanwhile, today won call-ups to England's one-day squad for the first time following their encouraging performances during the Ashes series defeat against Australia.

Durham fast bowler Harmison and Kent batsman Key were named in a 16-man squad to compete in the one-day triangular series against Australia and Sri Lanka which starts in Sydney on December 13.

Worcestershire fast bowler Kabir Ali is also named in the squad and is the only uncapped member of the party.

Lancashire all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has been included despite his failure to recover fully from a summer hernia operation.

Chris Silverwood, who sustained a torn ankle ligament in the third Test at Perth, will fly home in the next few days after being ruled out of the remaining two Test matches at Melbourne and Sydney over Christmas and New Year.

Those members of the Test squad not included in the one-day party will remain in Perth to continue work before the Ashes series resumes.

England squad: N Hussain (Essex, capt), Kabir Ali (Worcestershire), I Blackwell (Somerset), A Caddick (Somerset), P Collingwood (Durham), A Flintoff (Lancashire), S Harmison (Durham), R Irani (Essex), R Key (Kent), J Kirtley (Sussex), N Knight (Warwickshire), O Shah (Middlesex), J Snape (Leicestershire), A Stewart (Surrey, wkt), M Trescothick (Somerset), C White (Yorkshire).

Mark Waugh is to renew old rivalries with England by leading the Prime Minister's XI against the tourists in their one-day match in Canberra on December 10.

Waugh, who announced his international retirement after being dropped from Australia's squad at the start of the Ashes series, is to lead the side in the match which forms part of England's warm-up programme for the one-day triangular series.

He is one of only two players, alongside New South Wales team-mate Simon Katich, to have Test experience in the PM XI line-up.

Promising Queensland fast bowler Ashley Noffke is again included having impressed for Australia A against England in Hobart.

PM XI to face England: ME Waugh (NSW, capt), M Bradley (NSW), LA Carseldine (Queensland), D Dawson (ACT), BJ Haddin (NSW, wkt), S Harwood (Victoria), M Higgs (Sth Australia), SM Katich (NSW), AA Noffke (Queensland), P Rofe (Sth Australia), C White (Victoria).

The Australia selectors have announced a 12-man squad to face England in the VB Series matches on December 13 in Sydney and December 15 in Melbourne.

Squad: R Ponting (Tasmania, capt), A Gilchrist (Western Australia, vice-capt), M Bevan (New South Wales), A Bichel (Queensland), J Gillespie (South Australia), M Hayden (Qld), B Lee (NSW), D Lehmann (SA), D Martyn (WA), G McGrath (NSW), S Warne (Victoria), S Watson (Tasmania).

The Australia A squad for the matches against an England XI on December 8 in Sydney and Sri Lanka on December 14 was also announced.

Squad: J Langer (WA, capt), J Maher (Qld, vice-capt), G Blewett (SA), N Bracken (NSW), S Clark (NSW), M Clarke (NSW), R Campbell (WA), N Hauritz (Qld), B Hogg (WA), M Hussey (WA), A Noffke (Qld), A Symonds (Qld), B Williams (WA).

Australian World Cup squad: M Bevan (New South Wales), A Bichel (Queensland), G Blewett (South Australia), N Bracken (NSW), R Campbell (Western Australia), S Clark (NSW), M Clarke (NSW), A Gilchrist (WA), J Gillespie (SA), B Haddin (NSW), I Harvey (Victoria), N Hauritz (Qld), M Hayden (Qld), M Higgs (SA), B Hogg (WA), M Hussey (WA), J Langer (WA), B Lee (NSW), D Lehmann (SA), J Maher (Qld), D Martyn (WA), G McGrath (NSW), A Noffke (Qld), R Ponting (Tasmania), A Symonds (Qld), S Warne (Vic), Shane Watson (Tas), C White (Vic), B Williams (WA), D Wright (Tas).