Australian captain Steve Waugh has had surgery on his left ankle, the Australian Cricket Board said on Friday.

He will be out of action for six weeks but will be fit if the tour to Pakistan takes place.

Waugh had the operation to repair an injury that causes discomfort when one bone impinges on the outgrowth of another bone.

The discomfort in Waugh's ankle has increased in recent months during an intensive training program.

Waugh said he expected to be back in training in two weeks and be fully recovered in six weeks.

"The experts have told me that I will have fully recovered from the minor surgery in six weeks, which gives me plenty of time to prepare for the tour of Pakistan," Waugh said in a statement.

"While nobody likes having surgery, it's in my best long-term interests to get the problem fixed now, so I can use my time off to fully recover.

"Bowling is part of my renewed focus in limited-overs cricket, so repairing the ankle and reaching peak physical fitness will certainly help my efforts with the ball."

Tour in doubt

Waugh will be placed on a rehabilitation programme after stitches are removed from the ankle.

Australia are due to begin a three-month tour of Pakistan in August.

The trips however may not go ahead after a group of players ruled out going to Pakistan after a suicide bomb-blast in Karachi on 8 May, which killed 14 people, 11 of them French naval officials.