McGrath sets his sights on 2007 World Cup

Glenn McGrath is so eager to make up for lost time that he wants to extend his international cricket career by double the period of time he has been out through injury. McGrath has announced that he intends to play cricket until the 2007 World Cup, and also aims to complete 100 Tests and 200 one-day internationals, with 500 Test wickets and 300 ODI wickets.

McGrath, who has missed Australia's last nine Tests due to injury, said that his 10-month lay-off through ankle surgery has made him stronger and capable of bowling for another three years. Although 34, he believes that this new beginning will lengthen his career, when previously he thought that the 2005 Ashes tour would be his swansong.

"My goal now, for me, is the 2007 World Cup," he said. "Before I thought I wouldn't play that long but now I think it's a realistic goal and something I want to achieve, so hopefully there's three years left in me."

McGrath has taken 430 wickets in 95 Tests and 284 wickets in 185 ODIs, but if he gets to the West Indies in 2007 he should become the fourth bowler to reach 500 Test wickets, after Courtney Walsh, Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne. Given that Australia play at least 30 Tests before then, he could also become one of the game's most-capped bowlers.

That would be a true reflection of his longevity, but for the man who long seemed immune to injury, the past year has been difficult, as surgery to remove deposits of bone around his left ankle joint threatened his career. But the time out has been beneficial in the long-term, as he cannot previously recall a time when he did not take ankle soreness into matches.

Aiming to bowl year-round to cut the risk of suffering pre-season injuries, McGrath is as physically fresh now as he was when he made his international debut in 1993-94 and believes he can reclaim his best form. "The preparation I've done and the adjustments I've done - if all goes well - hopefully I'll even be better than I was in the past," he said. "I've never been an express bowler, I've always had zip and bounce and I've probably lost that in the last 12 months but I really feel that's come back recently."

McGrath said before he was injured, missing wife Jane and children James and Holly would have been the factor that shortened his career. But he said by spending every moment outside cricket with his family gave him "the best of both worlds".

McGrath hopes to follow in the footsteps of fast-bowling greats Walsh, Wasim Akram and Richard Hadlee, who all played into their late 30s by maintaining an efficient bowling action and maintaining a high work ethic. "I think the older you get, the harder you work and the better you'll be," he said. "So that's been my philosophy over the last four months and I've never felt as good as I do now."

McGrath bowled with lively pace at Australia's first training session of their tour of Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club. The ground is opposite the heavily-protected palace belonging to Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, which is said to be styled on the one once owned by Saddam Hussein, and is a stark reminder of the political turmoil in Zimbabwe.