20 December 2004	Monday	07 Ziqa'ad 1425

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PERTH, Dec 19: Fresh from claiming a haul of 8-24 in the second innings of the first Test against Pakistan, Australian paceman Glenn McGrath said he now had his sights set on claiming 500 Test wickets.

"At the moment 500 Test wickets is a pretty big goal of mine. For any bowler to achieve that is a pretty fair effort," a jubilant McGrath said. "That's the one I'm aiming for at at the moment."

McGrath, 34, now has 472 Test wickets to his name and hopes to join Team-mate Shane Warne, Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan and West Indian Courtney Walsh in the exclusive group of players to reach the target.

He dismissed any suggestions of retirement which have followed him since he was sidelined from Tests for almost 12 months following ankle surgery. "While I'm still enjoying it and we're playing well there's a lot to play for," he said.

McGrath - who's figures were second only to Arthur Mailey's 9-121 against England in 1920-21 as the best in a Test innings by an Australian - said he would also like to play in the 2007 World Cup.

"The way I felt today I'd definitely like to see myself there, we'll have to see what happens," he said. McGrath said he had felt flat after his first over on Sunday but that soon changed as the wickets began to tumble and a 10-wicket haul - only the third in Test history - seemed a possibility.

Englishman Jim Laker and India's Anil Kumble are the only other bowlers to have achieved the feat in a single Test innings. "After my first over I was wondering how I was going to bowl my fourth one, I was feeling pretty ordinary," he said. "Towards the end, that's as good as I've ever felt bowling and that's a pretty good sign."-AFP