NOTTINGHAM, England - Australian captain Steve Waugh has been encouraged to stay on the Ashes tour by the person he presumed would most want him to leave - his wife, Lynette.

One of Waugh's first thoughts when he tore his left calf muscle at Trent Bridge was that he should do the right thing by his growing family and jet back to his Sydney home in suburban Bankstown.

However, a late night telephone call with Lynette, who is expecting their third child on September 21, eased his troubled mind.

Waugh will have ten days of rest and physiotherapy before deciding between remaining on tour for the final three weeks or leaving new captain Adam Gilchrist to his own devices.

"I spoke to Lynette last night and she said 'You're not coming home,'" said Waugh.

"She wanted me to stay."

Laughing when he realised his wife sounded more than happy to have him on the other side of the world, he added: "That probably needs some elaboration.

"She said it may well be the last time you go to England, you're captain, you didn't get a chance to celebrate last night and she thought I should be here.

"She put a different perspective on it.

"Initially last night I thought I probably should go home - the kids are missing me and Lynette will have a baby soon as well.

"I'm still not exactly sure what I should be doing but hopefully in the next couple of days it will just evolve and the answer will come out."

He holds a desperately faint hope he will be fit for the final Test at The Oval from August 23, but team physiotherapist Errol Alcott admitted torn calves normally took at least four weeks to heal.

Waugh was hobbling around the team hotel on crutches today, managing to ease himself in the pool where he walked a few laps with Alcott and parked himself in the spa.

He was in good spirits despite the sad fact he has probably played his last Test on English soil.

"I don't think I'm too sentimental about that," he said.

"Yesterday wasn't the ideal way - if it is my last time in England - to finish, be carried off on a stretcher but at least people will remember it.

"Life goes on.

"Worse things could happen, it's only a muscle tear.

"I've been lucky, I've had a great time in England and we've won three-nil and I'm the only person to have won seven series in a row.

"I've had plenty more positives than negatives."

"I'm not saying I won't be here again, but it's probably long odds." Waugh, Gilchrist and chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns will conduct a telephone hook-up at 9am tomorrow to decide on a new vice-captain, probably Ricky Ponting.

They will also discuss whether Waugh will remain a selector now he is no longer playing.

"It's funny how things turn around," he said.

"It just goes to show you've just got to enjoy the moment, enjoy the Test match you're playing because you never know when your last one's going to be.

"I hope there's a few more to come from me but you don't know what's around the corner."

© 2001 AAP