Former Australia swing bowler Terry Alderman believes struggling Test sides like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh should consider luring a player like Mark Waugh out of retirement.

Zimbabwe arrive in Australia on Wednesday for a tour which includes Tests in Perth (October 9-13) and Sydney (17-21) and Alderman expects the Southern Africans to be outclassed by Steve Waugh's top-ranked Australia side.

"Mark Waugh is sitting in the wings and he still has another two years of international cricket left in his body," Alderman was quoted as saying on Tuesday by Australian Associated Press.

"He could have been drafted in by a team like Zimbabwe or Bangladesh.

"It is never going to happen, but I would like to see them do something like that," added the 47-year-old Alderman, who took 170 Test wickets, including 83 in the 1981 and 1989 Ashes tours.

Elegant right-hander Waugh retired from Test cricket in October 2002 after scoring more than 8,000 runs in 128 matches. The 38-year-old will play for Australian state side New South Wales in the 2003-04 season.

Zimbabwe (ninth) and Bangladesh (10th) are the lowest ranked nations in the International Cricket Council Test championship table.

HEAVY LOSSES

Zimbabwe heavily lost both Tests in England earlier this year and failed to make the final of a triangular one-day tournament also involving South Africa.

Bangladesh, who won Test status in 2000, have yet to win a Test and slumped to innings defeats at the hands of Australia in each of their two Tests in Australia in July. The Asians were then hammered 3-0 in their recent series away to Pakistan.

"It is almost accepted they [Zimbabwe] are not going to win a game (just) like Bangladesh, but it is seen as almost an ambassadorial role for Australia to help them along," said Alderman, a veteran of 41 Tests.

"Instead of having just [foreign] coaches, you actually need players for the on-field experience, to encourage the bloke who has the potential.

"If the guy up the other end [of the pitch] himself has never made a hundred or been successful at Test level, they are never going to improve."

Zimbabwe will be without two of their top players, Andy Flower [retired] and his brother Grant Flower [broken thumb], on their tour of Australia.