Australian bowling cornerstone Glenn McGrath has hit out at criticism, from Jeff Thomson and others, saying he has no doubts he will play in next year's World Cup.
McGrath said in The Sunday Telegraph that he was feeling as good as he's ever felt.
"It's disappointing to read comments from former players like Jeff Thomson having a go at me and saying I am no longer good enough and won't play in my fourth Cup."
"Then there were comments from Stephen Waugh last week that I was a 'man of leisure', having played 27 days of cricket and I had 108 days off since we came back from the Ashes."
"That also surprised me, but things like that don't really worry me."
"It's always been about how I feel I am going, whether I am happy with my bowling."
McGrath said that while Thomson claimed he was past his best, he was bowling quicker than he has all season.
"I am swinging the ball more than I have, the body feels great and I am back to where I want to be."
McGrath said he had to wonder about why former players made their comments and what they based them on.
"Comments from the media are often on a results basis, rather than the process and the results will come."
McGrath wasn't happy with his bowling for much of the South African series but he has worked everything out and has come back stronger.
"If I keep bowling the way I am, I know a bag of wickets are around the corner."
Claims that he was a 'man of leisure' were ridiculous, he said.
"If I have had 108 days off, I wish someone could have told me because I would have spent more time at home."
"A lot of the time playing and bowling out in the middle is the easy part. The hard part of being a fast bowler is the training and traveling that goes with it."
