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."
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Kumble brushed aside concerns that his latest injurymight come in his way of playing for India.
"It is a very mild tendonitis, inflammation of thetendon in the shoulder which has already settled down. It's like any bruisewhich takes a little bit of time to heal. Since I have had a previous shoulderproblem, I just need to be a bit more cautious.
"I don't think it is anything serious. I am already feeling a lot betterthat what it was a week ago. Every week it is improving and within a couple ofweeks I will start to bowl. I have already started to bowl a little bit. Ishould be fine hundred per cent shortly."
With 533 Test wickets in his kitty, Kumble said he was hopeful of reaching the600-wicket milestone but as far as ODIs were concerned, he was justconcentrating on making a comeback.
"Another 70 wickets is pretty realistic, let us see. 600 will be a goodtarget to get to. In one-dayers, I am just looking forward to coming back intothe scheme of things again."
Recalling his recent stint with Surrey which was cut short due to the injury,Kumble said he was pleased to have contributed to the team's victories.
"It was really good. I think Surrey as a club is very professional. Peoplethere were really good to me. It (injury) was a bit of a setback for thembecause they can sign only two overseas players."
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"I, being their second overseas signing, hadsigned for the last two months of the season. And I could play for only onemonth. In whatever short stay I had with them we had a successful run. We wonall the matches except one Twenty20 semi-final. It was a good five weeks ofcricket in England and I enjoyed it," Kumble said.
How did he motivate himself for such a performance?
"I think it's passion for the game which makes allthe difference. When you go out there and you have the ball in your hand, youdon't really worry about which team you are playing. You just want your team towin. If you have that kind of passion and if you go out with that kind ofintensity you will surely perform."
Asked to sum up his career till now, Kumble said,"It is very satisfying. It gives you a lot of satisfaction when you lookback at whatever you have tried to achieve in the 17 years of first-classcricket career so far.
"Consistency and performance have always been mostimportant to me. And also the team success. It's good to be a part of asuccessful team. It's been a great career so far and when I look back it feelsgood. If you want to be successful in life you need to have dedication andcommitment."
PTI
