His fellow Karnataka cricketer Javagal Srinath may beambivalent about his retirement plans but there is no such confusion for AnilKumble -- the leg-spinner is keen to extend his international career.
Asked if he would be available for the upcoming homeseries against New Zealand, Kumble shot back: "Yes. What makes you thinkthat I won't be there." The gutsy cricketer said he was looking forwardto the series as he had not been in the middle for quite some time now.
"It is a long time before we start internationalcricket ... that is in September-October. I am looking forward to it (New Zelandseries)," he told reporters in Bangalore.
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Kumble said the break that he has had after the WorldCup in South Africa in February-March had done wonders for him .
"We (Indian team) have a long break now. I havejust come back from a holiday abroad. It is good to be spending some time withthe family," said Kumble, who was largely overlooked in preference for aseventh batsman in the World Cup.
Unlike many of his teammates, Kumble does not have anyplans to play in the English county cricket. "No plans... Nothing," hesaid.
Kumble refrained from giving his views when asked aboutthe spinners' panel, comprising some of the country's legendary spinners.
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"I was not in town... I was away. I was supposedto be part of the team but I was not in India then. I don't know what wentup."
The past one year has not been easy for Kumble, the country's highestwicket-taking spinner with 349 Test wickets and 308 scalps in one-day internationals.
The Indian team management's formula of fielding aseven-batsman line-up in one-day internationals has forced the ace leg-spinnerto fight for the specialist spinner's spot with Harbhajan Singh. Mostly, he hasended on the losing side.
In the Test arena too Kumble was left in the lurch withIndia playing three seamers on its overseas tours.
The incidents of the Caribbean tour when he had tosuffer the humiliation of being excluded from the final eleven just before thetoss in the Trinidad Test, and 'The Assassin' going on to bowl with a bandagedface to prove a point in the Guyana Test are still vivid in his fans' memory.
Being excluded from the team for the most part ofthe World Cup in South Africa has proved to be the right chaff for the rumourmill which has for long been speculating about his retirement.
PTI
