Australia's hopes of a record third successive World Cup title could rest on the recovery rate of Andrew Symonds, who faces a potential "make-or-break week" of demanding fielding drills.

The powerful 2003 World Cup hero, who had bicep surgery last month, has been batting in the nets but must prove himself in all aspects of the game before returning to the side.

Symonds is considered a good chance to play in Australia's third Group A game against South Africa on March 24, but the all-rounder is pushing hard to come back against the Netherlands on March 18.

"It's hard to know. It could be a make-or-break week with the injury he's got," Australian coach John Buchanan said.

"He's desperately trying to get out and do his work and be involved and obviously the team would like him to come through too.

"But right at the moment we've got 14 fit players and if Andrew comes right then we've got 15 and we've got a great asset there.

"With the extra workload always comes extra risk of injury. Hopefully what he does next week just continues that road to getting him back on the field."

Opener Matthew Hayden (broken toe) has been running and batting and is on target to return for Wednesday's opening Group A clash with Scotland at St Kitts after missing warm-up games in the past week against Zimbabwe and England.

"I know he has set himself for Scotland so I think it would be unlikely that he wouldn't be available anyway," Buchanan said.

Australia will arrive in St Kitts late Monday after spending the weekend in Jamaica for the opening ceremony.

Buchanan strongly defended his bowling group after they gave up two of the three biggest successful run-chases in one-day international history in New Zealand last month.

"Given where we were supposed to be 11 days ago after the Chappell-Hadlee, or some people's idea of where we were, I think we've settled in very well," Buchanan said after Australia spent the week training on the Eastern Caribbean island of St Vincent.

"It has been a pretty ideal sort of location for us, a little bit similar to what Potchefstroom was in South Africa (at the 2003 World Cup).

"It's quieter place with no real distractions. We've been able to go about our business pretty well, just get over all the travel that we had and go about some training and have some games.

"We had a discussion up on top of the wall (Fort Charlotte, built 201 years ago to repel French invaders) about some of the things that are important to us, some of the things that we believe can be a distraction to us.

"So again it's all about setting up the performance ... the playing performance and how the team is gelling together."

Buchanan said despite the outstanding form of pace bowlers Shaun Tait (4-33), Stuart Clark (3-16) and Nathan Bracken (1-39) in Australia's five-wicket win over England in Friday's warm-up game, retiring great Glenn McGrath's place was in no doubt.

McGrath, 37, has bowled only nine overs in two practice games, taking 1-8 against Zimbabwe and 0-13 against England.

"At the moment I think Ricky (Ponting) is very happy with him (McGrath) and I think he's very happy with himself," Buchanan said.

"He'd like a few more overs but he's probably going to get those in the next few games.

"Nobody is a guaranteed selection but I think he's in a pretty good place at the moment."

Spinner Brad Hogg's 2-28 off 10 overs against England was his first wicket-taking performance in his past seven games for Australia and presents selector-on-duty Andrew Hilditch with a tough call.

Buchanan says Australia are tossing up whether to go with three quicks plus Hogg and all-rounder Shane Watson, or opt for all pace and no frontline spinner, relying on occasional slow bowlers such as Symonds, Michael Clarke and Brad Hodge.

"We're going to have to make an assessment (about the St Kitts wicket) probably through the Scotland game and watch the other couple of games," Buchanan said.

"I think we will have a stab at it for Scotland and hopefully we'll be about right."

Australia's three Group A games are at Warner Park in St Kitts.

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