Dilip Vengsarkar: "He [Kumble] has been a great servant for the country for the last 18 years but he has not done anything of note in the last few matches, his time is up now." © AFP Enlarge

Dilip Vengsarkar, the former Indian chairman of selectors, has called for Anil Kumble to end his international career. Criticising Kumble's lack of form, Vengsarkar said he did not foresee him leading the Indian team after the ongoing Test series against Australia.

"Kumble has not been performing in the last six to seven Tests," Vengsarkar told Indian television channel News 24. "He has been a great servant for the country for the last 18 years but he has not done anything of note in the last few matches. His time is up now. Kumble looked completely off colour in the third Test in Delhi and I don't see him captaining the side after the final Test in Nagpur."

This is not the first time the legspinner has come in for criticism from Vengsarkar. In the first Test in Bangalore questions were raised over Kumble's fitness after he picked up a shoulder injury while bowling.

"An unfit Kumble is letting the team down. If Kumble could not bowl more overs, then he should have not played. He should have earlier come clean to the selectors on his fitness," Vengsarkar said then in an interview to the same news channel. Kumble went wicketless for the third time in his Test career (when he's bowled) and for, the second time this year after a barren spell against Sri Lanka in Colombo the previous series. The repeat in Bangalore was also the first time he went wicketless when bowling in both innings.

Kumble was taken to hospital during the third day of the third Test after picking up a finger injury. He sustained a deep cut on his left little finger while attempting a sharp catch at short midwicket. However, he was discharged on Saturday after surgery.

Vengsarkar also praised the legspinner Amit Mishra and felt that Kumble hadn't used the bowler to good effect in Delhi. "Mishra was bowling quite well and was getting good zip but still Jumbo (Kumble) underbowled him," he said.