Sydney: Paceman Glenn McGrath plans to rejoin the Australian team in the West Indies before the final two Tests of the four-Test series, the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) said on Tuesday.

McGrath returned home last week from the West Indies after his wife had been diagnosed with a secondary cancer infection in her hip. It was her second battle against cancer in six years.

Jane McGrath is undergoing further treatment which is expected to lead to a full recovery.

Subject to his wife's health, McGrath plans to fly back to the West Indies on April 21, the ACB said in a statement.

The first Test gets underway in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday. Depending on his wife's reaction to the cancer treatment, the ACB said McGrath would play in the third Test in Bridgetown on May 1-5, the fourth Test in St John's, Antigua, on May 11-13 and the seven One-day Internationals.

"We're in constant touch with Glenn, he has our full support on this matter and we don't want to say he's got to return by this time...we want to maintain an open approach," Australian Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive James Sutherland said on Tuesday.

"It's a more optimistic outlook than where we were a week ago."

Sutherland left open the possibility that paceman Brad Williams, who went to the Caribbean to cover for McGrath, would remain on the tour, saying that decision would be left up to selectors. "It's too early to say for sure that as soon as Glenn gets there Brad would return home, that's not necessarily the case," Sutherland said.

Copyright AFP 2001

Extras:
It's great news for McGrath family