MELBOURNE, Dec 17 AAP - Shane Warne's determination to play in the World Cup will be tempered by one of the worst moments of his stellar cricket career.

Burned by his omission from the national team three years ago, Warne stressed he would not hurry his return from Sunday night's shoulder dislocation.

The Australian selectors will pick Warne in the final Cup squad of 15 on December 31, having confirmed they can replace him even during the tournament if his shoulder does not heal.

Warne will be on a four-to-six-week timetable to return to the top level if he is to play in the Cup starting in February in South Africa and there are already doubts as to whether this is feasible.

"I wouldn't put myself up for selection if I didn't think I could deliver the goods," he said.

"That's no good for Australia's chances of regaining the World Cup and I don't think it would do myself any good.

"I've done too much hard work and done some pretty good things on the field.

"I don't want to come back and be no good, get smashed all over the park and be dropped again."

Warne was dropped during the 1999 West Indies tour as he came back from major shoulder surgery.

He held a media conference today, 24 hours after exploratory surgery on his right bowling shoulder showed no damage beyond the expected results of a dislocation.

That prompted Australian Cricket Board medical officer Dr Trefor James to express hope Warne would be bowling again at international level within six weeks.

But Victorian coach David Hookes and former Test seamer Terry Alderman are among those who have expressed concern that is far too short a recovery period.

Warne said he was "groggy and grumpy" after yesterday's surgery and was still working through what the next month would hold.

But he spoke today with Australian team physiotherapist Errol Alcott and Melbourne physiotherapist Lyn Watson, two key people in his past comebacks from injury.

Warne will start his rehabilitation next Monday and felt he would know after a month how the shoulder was healing.

"There's probably four, five, six, seven scenarios about what is the best thing," he said.

"All I know is I'm not going to rush back to make sure I'm right (for the Cup)."

The 33-year-old felt he had several seasons of top-flight cricket beyond the World Cup.

Warne had to be stretchered off the MCG after suffering the injury on Sunday night in the one-day win over England.

"I just couldn't move my arm so I knew there was something wrong with it," he said.

"I felt where it was sore and I could feel the bone sticking out of the socket, I felt a big lump where it had to be put back in."

Warne admitted "the little man in your head" initially wondered if the dislocation might end his career.

He admitted to feeling "pretty disappointed" at another injury setback, having rejuvenated his international career with a 12-month fitness campaign.

Meanwhile, ACB chief executive James Sutherland confirmed at Warne's media conference that Australia had some flexibility with its Cup squad.

"The allowance within that, with injuries, is that a player can pull out at any stage after December 31, even after the tournament has started.

"They can be replaced, subject to confirmation by medical authorities that it's a genuine injury."

But Sutherland said there was still some confusion as to whether a replacement could come from outside the initial squad of 30, named at the start of the month.

Fellow leg-spinner Stuart MacGill and Test captain Steve Waugh, for example, did not make the first squad.

© 2002 AAP NewsWire

This report does not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Cricket Board.