Never a regular member in the ODI teams, India's mostsuccessful bowler, Anil Kumble, is determined to make it to the 2007 World Cupand "sign off in style".
Left out of the team for the ICC Champions Trophy to be played on his home turfin October-November because of fitness issues, Kumble is hopeful of being a partof the World Cup squad.
The 35-year-old engineer, one of the game's greatest spinners with 533 Testwickets and 329 ODI scalps, said in Bangalore today, "I will have to makeit to the World Cup squad to sign off in style."
The Bangalore bowler is banking on matches slated after the Champions Trophy tohitch-hike himself on to the World Cup squad.
"I'm hopeful that I will be a part of the set up (for World Cup). Some moreinternational matches are coming up after the Champions Trophy. It all dependson that," he said.
Kumble has been out of India's one-day scheme of things for more than a yearwith his age and fitness being cited as the minus points but the Bangalorebowler thinks neither of it is an issue as far as he is concerned.
"I don't think age has got anything to do with cricket. It's all about yourfitness, about how you feel and how you are bowling.
"In terms of fitness, I am really feeling good. There is a little bit oftendonitis problem in my shoulder but the rest of the body is absolutely fine.It's just a matter of couple of weeks before I should be back to bowlingproperly."
Kumble admitted that he was disappointed at missing out on the chance to play inthe Champions Trophy.
"I was looking forward to being a part of the Champions Trophy. But youcannot help with injuries when you play so much of cricket. Sometimes you need abit of luck too. I was doing well but then this tendonitis (happened). But it isnot serious, there's a lot of cricket coming up and I'm really looking forwardto that."
India have a busy season ahead starting with the Malaysian tri-series (September12-24) and the Champions Trophy. The Indians will leave for a tour of SouthAfrica to play three Tests and five ODIs in November-December followed by atriangular series at home with Sri Lanka and West Indies, which would probablybe their final build-up for World Cup 2007 in the Caribbean in March-April.
Asked how he was planning to prepare for the World Cup, Kumble said, "Ithink whenever I get an opportunity to play the shorter version of the game, Iwill be a part of it and try and get used to it.
"Having played 17 years of international cricket, I don't think it takestoo much time for me to get used to it. It's always good to be a part of theinternational set up. I'll have to just wait for a couple of months to dothat."