CRICKET: Alec Stewart prepares for possibly his final Test against Australia insisting he is not about to give up on an England career spanning 12 years as one of the world's leading all-rounders.

The 39-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman sat out England's five-wickets defeat during the fourth Test at Melbourne with a long-standing hand problem caused by the constant impact of taking the gloves, and an impressive display from understudy James Foster appeared to have signalled the end of his 125-Test career.

With Stewart due to celebrate his 40th birthday in April and both Foster and Chris Read impressing on this tour the Sydney Cricket Ground could be the impressive stage for his farewell, with former team-mate Michael Atherton among those who have speculated on that possibility.

Stewart is remaining characteristically silent about his future plans.

"I will carry on as I've always done and when it's time to call it a day I will," he said. "People have opinions, but it will be the selectors and the individual that make the decision when you go.

"My enthusiasm is still there - when the enjoyment goes there's no point doing it and that's no different to how it's always been."

Stewart is one of the first beneficiaries of the newly-awarded 12-month contracts and is therefore in England contention at least until the end of next season, after which he will have played in a fourth World Cup in South Africa this winter.

But whether he decides to go before or after his contract expires remains open to speculation, particularly with England coach Duncan Fletcher insisting: "We have said all along that a central contract does not guarantee selection."

Fletcher conceded that, with a side strain ruling out Craig White, which could sideline him for up to six weeks and has put in jeopardy his selection for the World Cup, the tourists had little option but to recall Stewart.

That has enabled them to balance the side as they attempt to avoid the humiliation of becoming only the second England side to suffer an Ashes whitewash.

"It's pretty difficult for him (Foster) but we have to get the balance of the side right, that's the most important thing," added Fletcher. "Alec is a proven, world-class all-rounder and it's difficult leaving someone like that out.

"He's batted well and kept well for us in this series. With Craig White injured, who has scored a lot of runs for us, we've got to make sure that we find the balance of the side to win this Test match."

Stewart will return to an England side lifted by their performance on the final day in Melbourne when they rattled the Australian batting line-up for the first time in the series despite setting the home side only 107 for victory.

"It's given the boys a lift," added Stewart. "It shows if you can put them under a bit of pressure they are like any other side. If we can take early wickets, which we haven't really done, then you can put them on the back foot.

"It shows they are only human and even they had problems chasing 110 or so."

Steve Waugh, meanwhile, will continue with the pragmatic and professional approach which has helped him to a record-equalling 156 Tests rather than become involved in the emotional hysteria surrounding the possibility of his farewell Test at his home ground in Sydney.

From the very start of the Ashes series, when brother Mark retired from international cricket after being overlooked for the opening Test, speculation has mounted about how much longer Steve can continue to play at the highest level at the age of 37.

Overlooked for this winter's World Cup in South Africa, Waugh's inclusion in the Australian squad to tour the West Indies has remained in doubt throughout the series.

Even an impressive display of 77 in the first innings at Melbourne was undermined by a shaky second innings while he was suffering with migraine.

He has been offered no promises by the Australian selectors beyond this week's final Ashes Test, where he will equal Allan Border's world record of 156 Test appearances and become only the third player in history to pass 10,000 Test runs if he scores 69 over the next five days.

But sentimentality has never been part of Waugh's make-up and, despite an opportunity to possibly say an emotional farewell to Test cricket on his home ground, he will prepare in the same manner as any other match.

"There's been a little bit too much talk about this," he insisted. "If people put themselves in my position and how it feels with the amount of opinion and coverage I'm getting then I think they would feel uncomfortable as well.

"It's part of sport, but it's easy to get carried away about one person rather than the team and the game, and it's disappointing with the way we are playing that there is a lot of focus on other issues.

"You have to try and go out there and appreciate you are playing for Australia and no matter how many times I play I still go out thinking it's fantastic to be playing for Australia. That's what I'm going out with in this Test match - I'm not going to be sad thinking this could be the last time I go out there."

Waugh admits he has thought about his future although he has restricted those he has consulted about it to his immediate future and has not even discussed it with brother Mark.

England wicketkeeper- batsman Alec Stewart practises ahead of his return for the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney which starts today.