MacGill in no mood to retire before Boxing Day Test

Sydney, Nov 24 (UNI) An unfit Stuart MacGill does not have any plans to quit International Cricket before India's tour of Australia, although, he considers it to be a challenge to be fit before the Boxing Day Test match against India.

''I don't want to retire,'' MacGill said. ''It's a dodgy time but I'm acutely aware that nothing will satisfy me in life like staring down a batsman. Retiring means finding something else to stimulate my competitive instincts and right now, nothing else can do that.'' Earlier team physio, Alex Kountouris said MacGill was running out of time to improve his fitness but MacGill promised he would do his best to be ready for the first Test against India.

MacGill is hopeful that his knee injury will heel before the Boxing Day test against India and dismissed the reports of being given deadlines by the team management.

''It was only five weeks between my surgery and the first Sri Lankan Test, so that should be long enough,'' said the 33-year old spinner. '' Nobody has said 'you have to do this' because I don't have to do anything, the situation is, if I don't do it, I'm out. If I want to play, I have to be fit by that date and that's a cold, hard fact.'' MacGill may yet play in New South Wales' Pura Cup match that begins next Friday but he has been told that playing in either of the four-day matches could further hamper his recovery from knee surgery.

''I am not completely ruling myself out,'' he said for the match against Victoria. ''Even if my priority is to play for Australia I will be touring with the New South Wales team because the people who know me best are there,'' he added.

UNI