LONDON, May 13: In the lobby of the Australian team's plush Mayfair Hotel yesterday, the first important decisions of a modern-day Ashes tour were being taken within hours of the squad's arrival.

Mark Waugh wanted to check the availability of the four-door automatic car he had requested for when his wife arrives in England. Around him, his team mates put in requests for complimentary golf clubs ``Mate, I'd prefer stiffer shafts if possible'' and discussed how many tickets they would need for the Wimbledon tennis.

Relaxed and bright-eyed despite the overnight flight from Hong Kong, a few of the younger players were planning their first foray into London's West End. Life as a professional cricketer is not all damp county grounds and endless hours in the nets.

For at least one member of the tour party, though, the natural excitement generated by an Ashes series is mixed with understandable caution. Australia expects great things from its cricket teams and all sorts of emotions are currently swirling around captain Mark Taylor.

Taylor, as the cricketing world knows, has not scored a half-century in any of his last 20 Test innings and was forced to drop himself from the one-day side in South Africa recently because of his poor form.

In Australia, which has always prided itself on picking the best 11 men regardless of rank, the debate over whether Taylor should remain in charge has raged for months, almost eclipsing the series wins over West Indies and South Africa.

``There have been times when I've been close to pulling my hair out because things haven't been turning around for me,'' Taylor admitted.``It is very frustrating when I know I can play better but I've always believed that you're only one innings away from being back in form. Once you get it back, you can't work out why it took so long.''

What Taylor is hoping for is a similar experience to his first tour of England in 1989 when he averaged 83.9 in a Test series which Australia won 4-0.

``In the first month of that tour I had a top score of 11,'' he recalls. ``I was looking forward to September because I thought I'd be carrying the drinks for most of the series.

``But it turned around in one innings at Somerset. I made 97.''

``My recent form with the bat has been well documented...It's been terrible,'' admitted Taylor. ``But it's great to be back in England, my record is good here and I'm hoping this English summer will turn it around for me.''

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.