Darren Gough, fighting to get fit again after serious knee problems, has been put on a three-month trial by Yorkshire.

If he stays fully fit after that time, he will remain with the club under the terms of a new contract, the length of which has not been disclosed.

Gough was in bullish mood at a Press conference at Headingley yesterday.

"There has been a lot of rubbish talked about whether I would play for Yorkshire again, but everything has been all right since last October when it was agreed I would sign a new contract if I proved to be fit enough," he said.

"I am not charging in at 100 miles an hour yet but I am getting there and the club has stood by me.

"Yorkshire have been very loyal and I have been put under no pressure. I am now bowling every day of the week and feel as fit as I have been for a long time."

Gough also made it clear that he was keen to regain his England place but he stressed that he would not be trying to rush back.

"The first thing a player wants after injury is to get back on the field as soon as possible and it is a pity that I came back too soon.

"I was not fit to go to Australia in the first place and England knew that at the time. When I left Australia I thought my career was over but I have worked hard and people have helped me through that.

"I have been under Yorkshire physiotherapist Wayne Morton for 15 weeks now and have been working on aspects of my action with Academy boss Steve Oldham for the past five weeks."

Gough said he believed he was still England's best bowler.

"Several of England's top players told me that had I been playing when we narrowly lost to Australia in the World Cup the game would not have got that far."

Talking of Yorkshire's coming season, Gough said: "I don't think we should be in the Second Division of the Championship. We are a better side than that and I hope to be able to help them get back into the First Division."

He added that new captain Anthony McGrath had telephoned him as soon as he had been appointed to make sure he was going to remain a Yorkshire player and he was able to assure him that he was.

It was also announced that Darren Lehmann has been chosen for Australia's tour of the West Indies and will not be playing for Yorkshire this season.

Yorkshire chief executive Colin Graves said that it was not felt that they needed to replace Lehmann and they would stick with their present players unless something happened to change the situation.

This means that Yorkshire will start out with Matthew Elliott as their only overseas players, despite being allowed two for the first time.

* Australia will attempt to reach their third successive World Cup final today with coach John Buchanan warning their rivals that they are yet to perform to their full potential.

The favourites face Sri Lanka in the opening semi-final at St George's Park with the confidence of 15 successive one-day victories behind them.

''Either the batting's gone well or the bowling's gone well or our fielding's gone well, said Buchanan.

"But I don't think we've put it all together in any particular game - I'd like to think that would start to happen now.''