Border, 48, who was Warne's first Test captain in 1992, said Australia's leading wicket-taker would have the opportunity to train with the national squad as a guest during his suspension.

"I think he's so good that he could come straight back into the squad and we'll have the opportunity in the summer months to get Shane involved in the squad," Border said in an interview aired on Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio.

"He's allowed to bowl in the nets and prepare himself, so we'll just monitor how he's going in the nets."

Warne's suspension ends on February 10 2004 and Australia are scheduled to tour Sri Lanka later that month.

The controversial bowler, named in 2000 as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the century, boasts 491 wickets in 107 matches.

Warne trails only former West Indies paceman Courtney Walsh's mark of 519 Test wickets.

Warne received some good news last month when Cricket Australia failed in a bid to prevent the 33-year-old bottle-blond from playing in charity and testimonial matches during his doping suspension.

RETURNED HOME

Warne was banned from cricket for 12 months after testing positive for diuretics in February and returned home from the World Cup in South Africa in a blaze of publicity without playing a match in the tournament he dominated four years earlier.

Warne was a television commentator in last month's home test series against Bangladesh when his replacement leg spinner Stuart MacGill took 17 wickets in the two matches to win the man of the series award.

"This is a good 12 months in Test cricket that I've been given the opportunity to participate in and I'm going to cash in," MacGill told reporters last week after his 10-133 in the second Test.

Australia will host Zimbabwe for two tests in October and India for four Tests in December and January.