MY PLANE, JANE...Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath seems to have the flight on his mind even as he gets a hug from girlfriend Jane Steele before departing on the Ashes tour of England at Sydney airport.

SYDNEY, May 10: Australia captain Mark Taylor said today he would drop himself for the Ashes Test series against England unless he rediscovered his form as a batsman over the next month.

Taylor, whose future has been under a cloud because of a form slump over the past 12 months, gave himself the deadline before flying out of Australia for the six-Test series.

``I've got a month to prove to myself and the other selectors that I am one of the two best opening batsmen in this side,'' Taylor told reporters at Sydney airport.

Taylor has failed to score a half-century in any of his last 20 Test innings, raising doubts over his future.

``Over the next month I'll play to the best of my ability, try and make some runs, take some catches and captain the side,'' he said.

Asked whether he would consider standing down if it came to the crunch, Taylor said: ``If it gets to that stage, yes.

``I'm a tour co-selector and I have to make sure I'm doing the job as a batsman and captain and if it gets to that stage, I will. But that's a long way down the track.''

Taylor, who will lead a 17-man squad for the Ashes tour, has guided Australia to series wins against South Africa and West Indies this year despite his own poor form.

Australia selectors made contingency plans in light of Taylor's current batting woes by promoting veteran all-rounder Steve Waugh to vice-captain for the England tour. He replaced the ageing wicketkeeper Ian Healy, who was Taylor's deputy for the South African tour and was banned from two matches for indiscipline.

Waugh is seen as an ideal captain in waiting if Taylor fails to improve his form during the early stages of the tour.

Taylor will be challenged by Michael Slater and Matthew Eliot for a position at the top of the order.

Australia will start their three-month tour with a limited overs match against Duke of Norfolk's XI on May 15. The first Test will be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham on June 5-9.

Taylor said he was reluctant to make any predictions about what would happen in England.

``I, like everyone of the 16 men behind me, am going over there to impress the tour selectors and get picked in the one-day side and then the Test matches -- and that's the way I'm going to approach the tour,'' he said.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.